Chelsea stand to benefit
from a coronavirus-enforced lockdown, says Pat Nevin, with the likes of
Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and N’Golo Kante given a chance to work
on their fitness.
The Blues have seen their 2019-20 campaign punctuated by regular untimely setbacks on the injury front.
Callum
Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are among the other Stamford Bridge
stars to have taken in unfortunate spells on the treatment table.
Frank
Lampard has still been able to steer his side into the Premier League’s
top four, despite seeing key men ruled out on a regular basis and no
additions made through two transfer windows.
Chelsea are now
taking in a break from competitive action, with there few benefits to
be found in the Covid-19 pandemic which has swept the world.
They
could, however, have a full complement of players at their disposal
once action resumes, with walking wounded offered a chance to complete
their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Former Blues
star Nevin told the club’s official website: “We in the UK are only
entering the first days of the lockdown and nobody is sure how long this
planetary pandemic will paralyse the Premier League, but when it
finishes it is certain that most of the players who have been injured
will be fully fit by then and ready to start up again.
“Callum
Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and
N’Golo Kante will each have had a very long period to let their various
problems clear up.
“There are very few benefits for anyone
during the current crisis and you wouldn’t crassly celebrate them
anyway, but not only will these players be ready, willing and able when
football starts again, they will also not have the huge disadvantage of
having to catch up with match fitness to everyone else’s level.
“Absolutely
no-one will have that mid-season match fitness right off the bat when a
Premier League referee finally blows a whistle in anger once again, so
they will all be on a proverbial, as well as literal, level playing
field.
“Everyone on the planet is looking forward to and
hoping for a clean bill of health, and players will be feeling the same
be it virus or injury.”
Chelsea sat fourth in the Premier
League table when football shut down, three points clear of the chasing
pack, and are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – where
they are due to face Leicester.
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