Mykhailo Mudryk started his first game for Chelsea tonight, but only lasted 45 minutes. The winger was a total non-event in attack, and was easily held at bay by an organised Fulham.
He was totally anonymous in the first half and didn’t reappear for the second half. After the game, Graham Potter was asked for more information about the change, with journalists keen to figure out if it was tactical or thanks to an injury.
Potter explained that the change was due to a “heavy cold” that the Ukraine star had.
Graham Potter on Mykhailo Mudryk:
"He's had a really heavy cold, this week he's suffered with that, feeling heavy legged at half-time, we didn't wanted to take any risks with him. Noni Madueke came on and did really well, so that's a positive for us."
[via @beINSPORTS_EN]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) February 3, 2023
That’s just… odd. If he’s got such a bad cold that he had to be taken off, why did he start the game at all? We had two great options on the bench in the same position in Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling, and both of them contributed more as subs than Mudryk did as a starter.
Perhaps Potter is just protecting the new signing.
I agree with your work
Mudryk wasn’t fed the ball at all. Wingers can’t be judged if they don’t get the service. Mudryk showed desire to get the ball and he also defended. Ask which players were supposed to be feeding him the ball and that’s where the issue is.