Heitinga has been speaking about Chelseaplaceholder image
Heitinga has been speaking about Chelsea | AFP via Getty Images
Ajax boss John Heitinga is surprised that one Chelsea player is not playing regularly.
It has been a positive couple of weeks for Chelsea, who have now won back-to-back Premier League games, beating Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
The wins have come at an important time, with Chelsea needing to stay consistent in the wake of a tough run with injuries. But keeping it up is another challenge, and the Blues will have to battle expectation against an Ajax side that has struggled in the league and in the Champions League.
Ahead of the game, Ajax boss Heitinga has been speaking about the wealth of options that Chelsea have despite their injury issues. He said: “Just to give an example – Jorrel Hato, one of our best players at Ajax last season, is on the (Chelsea) bench and hardly plays. I think that says a lot about Chelsea’s quality, because Jorrel was a game-changer for us.”
Hato is yet to play in the Champions League for Chelsea, making four league appearances in the Premier League and one in the Carabao Cup. It will be interesting to see if he will get the chance to play against his former club, and he should have a chance, with Benoit Badiashile having suffered a setback.
Chelsea boss Maresca has said of Hato: “Yes, we are very happy with Jorrel since he arrived. He is trying to adapt a little bit to different competitions, English football, but we are very happy with him.
"The first two, three weeks he struggled a little bit in terms of physicality, in terms of intensity, but he is getting better and better. I think he can play both [as a full-back or central defender]. He is a very good player. He can be a central defender or full-back, but also he can join a midfielder, attacking phases, so I think he can play different positions."
Heitinga on Chelsea clash
Speaking more generally on his side’s clash with Chelsea, Heitinga said: “I have fond memories of the matches at Stamford Bridge. I fought my duels with Drogba and played against teams with players like Lampard and Terry. I told Youri Baas on the way here that I once scored a penalty in a shoot-out in this stadium. After scoring, I walked back and tried to get under Ashley Cole’s skin. He ended up missing, so that was quite funny."
He added: “We have looked very closely at our game plan. Chelsea are a very strong opponent and it’s no coincidence that they are the Club World Cup winners. I know the Premier League and Chelsea’s strength very well. We must demand the utmost from ourselves. I still really enjoy the Champions League. It’s not as if we’ll go onto the pitch tomorrow reluctantly. It’s the stage where you can show yourself as a player and measure yourself against the best in Europe."
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