Chelsea have been struck down by an attacking injury crisis ahead of Monday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest.
Jamie Gittens has been a regular in the treatment room and, when Monday’s starting lineup emerged, it was revealed that both Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto had joined their fellow winger on the sidelines for the game.
With Estêvão recently injured and Mykhailo Mudryk still suspended, Chelsea’s entire crop of senior wingers have been struck down, leaving 18-year-old Jesse Derry to make his first start for the Blues.
Here’s the latest on Neto and Garnacho.
Why Are Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho Not Playing for Chelsea?
Interim boss Calum McFarlane did not reveal any problems for the pair during his prematch press conference, leaving their complete omission from the matchday squad as a genuine shock.
According to Nizaar Kinsella, Neto and Garnacho are both battling knocks. While neither are expected to need long on the sidelines, they were not deemed fit enough to play in Monday’s big game.
McFarlane has, therefore, been forced to get creative. Cole Palmer gets the nod on the right wing—a tactical choice that is not particularly unusual—but it is the inclusion of young Derry that has left Chelsea fans excited.
Derry Deserving of Senior Chance
Many supporters have been keen to see Derry given more minutes in recent weeks, particularly with his senior alternatives struggling to capture the imagination.
Gittens’s injury struggles have left him unable to win over his new supporters, while Garnacho’s impressive work rate has been countered by an underwhelming end product that has sparked suggestions he could leave the club this summer.
Like Garnacho, Derry also joined Chelsea last summer, inking a deal to move from the Crystal Palace academy. The 18-year-old has dazzled at Under-21 level, bagging six goals in 17 PL2 outings and adding five goals in eight games in the UEFA Youth League.
His tricky dribbling skills have been particularly impressive. The youngster’s blend of speed and electric footwork has been too much for many defenders at academy level and Chelsea fans will be eager to see whether Derry’s skill set carries over to the senior game.
The stakes are high, with Chelsea needing to climb up to sixth to even have a hope of qualifying for the Champions League, so there is real pressure on Derry’s shoulders at this crucial stage of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto Are Not Playing for Chelsea vs. Nottingham Forest.
