Enzo Maresca has hinted that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could leave Chelsea in January. The 26-year-old joined the Blues from Leicester City for £30million in July but has since struggled for regular game time at Stamford Bridge.
In fact, Dewsbury-Hall has started just NINE matches. Seven of them have come in the Conference League, while the other two were in the Carabao Cup. It means that the Shepshed-born midfielder hasn't started a single Premier League match for Chelsea, having come off the bench on five occasions.
Despite joining in the summer, there has been talk that Dewsbury-Hall could be set for a swift exit from the Blues in the January transfer window. A return to Leicester has been mooted, while others Premier League sides - including Aston Villa, Fulham and Brighton - have been linked with a winter move.
And now, Maresca has provided an update on Dewsbury-Hall's future. Speaking after the 5-1 win over Shamrock Rovers on Thursday, the Italian said: "Unfortunately, I cannot say that (he is definitely going to stay), not about Kiernan, about all the squad, because when the transfer window is open, unfortunately, anything can happen.
"So I'm not focused on January, the only thing I can say about Kiernan is that we are very happy in the way he's working, we are very happy about his performance, and this is my thought about Kiernan."
Dewsbury-Hall scored his second goal in Chelsea colours during the win over Shamrock at Stamford Bridge. He netted their third with a neat finish, while Marc Guiu struck a hat-trick and Marc Cucurella found the net for the second successive game as the Blues ended their Conference League league phase campaign with a 100 per cent record, winning all six of their matches in the new format.
And after the win over Shamrock, Dewsbury-Hall reflected on his side's Conference League campaign so far. He told TNT Sports: "Another good night at the Bridge. A lot of people will say we are big favourites and honestly, we probably are, but in football it is not easy to keep winning.
"Six wins out of six is pretty good. This tournament is relieving a lot of pressure for some of the people who play in the Premier League and it's a chance for young academy lads to make their debuts.
"It is a good vibe at the moment."