Xabi Alonso has made it clear what he expects from his Chelsea players during the international break, and several will be eager to prove themselves worthy of a starting place when the Blues return to action.
The manager recently highlighted areas for improvement, telling his squad: “We have dropped our consistency, our competitive mentality needed in the second half.” With only four players appearing to be automatic starters in the Premier League, Alonso has left the door open for others to stake a claim.
Football.london has identified five players with a particular opportunity to impress. Estevao must prove he can perform consistently at the highest level with Brazil to justify a regular place ahead of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. Barco, who made his Premier League debut at Brentford last week, has a chance to cement his midfield role while away with Argentina, especially with Alonso managing the fitness of Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo. Hato can use his time with the Netherlands to win back the centre-back spot he lost after Hull City. Quenda, who has played only 30 minutes for Chelsea so far, will look to catch the manager’s eye with Portugal’s Under-21s.
Chelsea face Bournemouth on 10 October, when Alonso may well make significant changes in pursuit of a response after recent inconsistency.
Sources
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