The Athletic have this week done a really interesting piece on Chelsea’s players out on loan at sister club Strasbourg and how they’re all getting on.
Penders struggles but shows talent too
Mike Penders after his debut for Genk.
Mike Penders after his debut for Genk.
Up first was Mike Penders, the great white hope in goal for Chelsea. Sadly for those fans hoping that he can make an impact next
We already covered some of his mistakes from the weekend here, and Cyril Olives-Berthet gave more detail to their piece:
“Penders has struggled a bit. He needs to adapt to Ligue 1, he needs to adapt to Rosenior-ball, which is really difficult for goalkeepers, because his style is not to play long balls, and he’s got a defence that are taking a lot of risks.”
He made mistakes in the draw with PSG at the weekend and against Monaco back in August. There’s a lot of growth still there, and nobody is getting worried yet, but the idea he might be playing for Chelsea next season is very clearly fanciful.
Paez and Sarr also suffer setbacks on long road to Chelsea potential
In terms of the other players, Kendry Paez was praised as having had some “excellent performances” which led to him winning the Ligue 1 young player of the month award. However things have got a little tougher more recently, and he was taken off at half time against Marseille.
Paez’s talent is obvious, but he’s another player who looks like they’ll need a bit of time before they’re ready for the Premier League.
Mamadou Sarr hasn’t played since the end of September, but should return soon. He’s the most likely to be playing in our first team next season, and will be hoping to impress once he’s back on the pitch.
Despite our sister club’s great season, all of the Chelsea loanees are having a tricky few weeks.
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Stamford Bridge generic.
A view of the Shed at Stamford Bridge.
Stamford Bridge generic.