Chelsea head coach Graham Potter has insisted Mykhailo Mudryk's development is 'not a straight road' when explaining why the Ukrainian has been dropped for recent games.
After it long seemed he would sign for Arsenal, the Blues swooped in to sign Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk during the January transfer window for a fee that could reach a staggering €100m.
He impressed on his debut as a substitute in a 0-0 draw at Liverpool, but struggled when featuring from the off in games which followed and has since been relegated back to the bench.
Potter was asked about his use of Mudryk ahead of Chelsea's trip to Leicester City on Saturday, revealing there are 'a lot of factors' when it comes to managing the winger.
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"Of course, every player wants to play and it's important that players play to improve, I think that's a fact," Potter said.
"But at the same time, it's not a straight road, it's not just a play and everything happens in a linear way. Sometimes you have to take a step away. Sometimes you just need a bit of training time. Sometimes you need a breather. So there are a lot of factors.
"Hopefully, he can benefit from the time he's had. And again, it's not easy for him to just arrive in the middle of what was pre-season for him and to come into a new country, new club, new league, and just hit his absolute maximum level. It is regardless of the fee; I know people will look at the fee but it doesn’t change the situation he is in.
"We're positive about him. We're positive about the future for him. But we need just to help them settle and help him understand what he needs to do to help us."
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On this edition of Son of Chelsea, part of the 90min podcast network, Daniel Childs reacts to the Blues' win over Borussia Dortmund, how Mason Mount has saved Graham Potter's job and more. If you can't see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!
Source : 90min