Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic can’t escape the bench yet again
Despite joining Chelsea for £58 million earlier this year, Christian Pulisic can’t seem to crack the first XI, failing to feature in 3 straight matches.
No team suffered a bigger blow in the summer transfer window than Chelsea did. While all of their top 6 rivals bar Liverpool improved their squads, the Blues were left unable to sign players due to a transfer ban. On top of that, the clubs best player Eden Hazard departed for greener pastures.
Despite the frustrating summer, there was still one player in particular who we were all itching to see in Chelsea blue for the first time this season – US international Christian Pulisic, signed by Chelsea last January and loaned back to Dortmund for the remainder of the 2018-19 season, no doubt in anticipation of the transfer ban.
Pulisic joined for a rather hefty £58 million, but at 21, has already had a rather impressive career in the Bundesliga and for the US National Team.
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While he was expected to carry some of the weight that Hazard left behind, most of that has fallen on the shoulders of Mason Mount, who has stolen the spotlight from right under Pulisic’s feet, leaving the American frozen out.
We have now failed to see Pulisic in any of Chelsea’s last 3 matches, with the playmaker sitting on the bench and failing to appear as a substitute in all 3. This has risen the question of whether Lampard even rates Pulisic, whether they’re trying to integrate him slowly, or perhaps a combination of the 2. After all, Lampard knows Mason Mount well from the season they both spent at Derby County last year, which is likely the reason why he is putting more faith in him than Pulisic.
When asked why Pulisic isn’t playing following Chelsea’s loss to league-leaders Liverpool, Lampard made it clear that his age, along with the competition for positions at the club, is partly the reason why:
"“He will get ample opportunities. He is a young player as well as everyone is talking about Mason and Tammy and Fikayo. He is actually as young, if not younger, than some of them. His chances will come.” – Frank Lampard"
It seems that Lampard is entrusting Willian, Pedro, and Mount in the wide positions over Pulisic, which is of course going to be a worry for the player, as well as the US Men’s National Team and its fans.
It’s rather baffling, seeing as the former 2 players are heading towards the twilight of their careers, and Pulisic was impressive for the Blues in preseason and against Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup last month.
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Pulisic certainly possesses the quality required to become a great player sooner rather than later though, with his maturity on the pitch and creativity from wide areas. He is also a rather versatile player, capable of playing on either flank or as a number 10. Hopefully, Lampard allows us to see these qualities on full display in the Premier League sooner rather than later.