https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/
potter-ponders-youth-opportunities-and-zakaria-minutes
Potter ponders youth opportunities and Zakaria minutes
01 NOV 2022
Chelsea may have already booked our place in the last 16 of the Champions
League as the winner of Group E, but that does not mean Graham Potter is
committed to making wholesale changes when we take on Dinamo Zagreb on
Wednesday evening.
https://i.imgur.com/5s90rLY.jpg
Whatever happens at Stamford Bridge, the Blues will finish first. Home and
away wins against AC Milan, backed up with last week's success in
Salzburg, have earned us the rare pleasure of a game without plenty riding
on it.
The pressure may be off, but when asked if he would be selecting some of
the Academy hopefuls who featured in men's first team training today, the
likes of Lewis Hall and Zac Sturge, Potter said it was 'not a time to use
young players for the sake of it'.
'We have to prepare to win,' the head coach stated at his media
conference. 'We're at home, we want to finish the competition off well at
this stage, and respond to the disappointment at the weekend.
https://i.imgur.com/JQQoSKg.jpg
'We have used a lot of the young players. A lot of them have been
impressive. I like their character and their personality.
'Getting closer to the Academy guys and getting to know them has been an
important part of how we've started here at Chelsea, but we have to be
competitive and respectful of the competition with teams looking for the
points for their own qualification.'
A more experienced player hoping to make his first Chelsea appearance is
Denis Zakaria. The Swiss international has been an unused sub in each of
our five Champions League group games to date, as well as our four most
recent domestic fixtures.
https://i.imgur.com/IMFVwVB.jpg
Denis Zakaria is yet to feature for the Blues
He is yet to get on the pitch but Potter recognised there is a chance that
will change in SW6 tomorrow when asked about the 25-year-old's status.
'As I've said before he's been really good, he's trained well, he's
supported his team-mates,' Potter responded.
'Obviously he's been disappointed not to play, like everybody is, but up
until the weekend results have been positive, we've been trying to take
steps, but he's in the frame for tomorrow. He's available for selection
and we will wait and see.'