Liam Rosenior made the bold decision to recall Mamadou Sarr instead of Aaron Anselmino in the January window, having initially recalled Anselmino to take a look at Chelsea’s young Argentine.
With Sarr busy winning the African Cup of Nations and Rosenior already fully aware what Sarr can offer having managed him at Strasbourg, Anselmino was given a look. But it resulted in Sarr’s recall.
Sarr eventually made his second-ever Chelsea appearance. His first came in the Club World Cup as a substitute against Tunisian side Esperance Tunis, his second came on Friday against Hull, his first start.
Would you startv Sarr against burnley, and who does he replace?
The Senegal star was sensational. No other Chelsea defender has managed to produce his passing stats from the 4-0 win, and it was only gaffer Rosenior’s third clean sheet in 11 games as Chelsea manager.
The jury is still out on Chelsea’s Sarr, according to a fan
On our Talking Points’ channel, a user said that while he was impressed with Sarr’s first-ever start for Chelsea, the “jury’s out” on Sarr. He wants to wait and see how Sarr does against top-tier opponents.
SOCCER: JUL 13 FIFA Club World Cup Final Paris Saint-Germain vs Chelsea FC
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Well, this weekend, Chelsea play host to relegation strugglers Burnley. If Rosenior’s aim is to introduce Sarr into this Chelsea side in an augmented fashion, then Burnley at home is the next step on the ladder.
It is not as if Sarr is a complete rookie. This is a player proven in Ligue 1, and has won the African Cup of Nations. If fans are yet to make a decision on Sarr, seeing him perform against Burnley will change that.
Mamadou Sarr has given Liam Rosenior a defensive headache
Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah are currently, considering the players that are also unavailable, Rosenior’s best options in the middle of the defence. Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo are injured.
Who’s your Chelsea Player of the Season so far?
Tell us why below! ✍️
Benoit Badiashile has had his chance under Rosenior and failed to hold on to it, while against Leeds, Josh Acheampong was arguably to blame for the second goal. On Friday, Sarr’s performance was solid.
It gave Chelsea a reliability in defence, something which they’ve lacked in recent months, albeit against a Championship side. Sarr joined an illustrious list to win his first start by four or more, like Deco.
It is too early for Sarr to start games against some of the Premier League big boys, but if he intends to maximise Sarr’s potential, starting him in games against Burnley at home makes sense.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox