As Chelsea struggle with options to change their own Premier League games, attention continues to turn to a number of players who are featuring for clubs on loan.
Enzo Maresca was criticised by Chelsea fans after he was hesitant to make substitutions during the previous defeat to Arsenal, with him not making any changes until there were less than 20 minutes to go.
The manager will point to a lack of available options on the bench for him to have turned to, with many of those he looked to earlier in the season currently playing their football elsewhere.
One of those is Renato Veiga, who completed a January switch to Juventus after not getting the minutes he desired at Stamford Bridge.
It actually emerged that Veiga wanted to play centre-back, a position he had only been used in sparingly after the Blues brought him in with the intention of being a left-sided defender.
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Giuseppe Maffia/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Veiga got off to a great start in Italy, with him being part of a defence who won four games in a row to kick off his time away from West London.
An injury kept Veiga out for a while, and the Portugal international will not have enjoyed his comeback game against Fiorentina.
Juventus lost 3-0, and Veiga didn’t avoid criticism for the part he played in a defensive collapse.
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
Football Italia gave him a 4/10, describing his performance as ‘too soft’.
They said: “This is surely more challenging as there isn’t just one Juventus player at fault, just like last week against Atalanta. Kelly and Veiga were just too soft at the back, allowing Fiorentina to score easy goals when there was still something to play for. The midfield was nonexistent. Kolo Muani made 28 touches, but never towards the right direction. A disaster.”
Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Renato Veiga’s Chelsea future
Veiga is currently only on loan at Juventus, with him at this point set to return to Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
It has already been predicted to The Chelsea Chronicle that Veiga will leave permanently if he gets regular gametime at Juventus, something that is looking likely when he is fit.
The Blues are expected to be busy in the transfer window again this summer, and defensive reinforcements are likely to be near the top of their list following an underwhelming few months at the back.
While Marc Cucurella’s place is safe, there is currently no recognised natural left-back in the side behind him.