For the first time in two months, Christian Pulisic and his mountain man beard are available for selection as Chelsea attempt to win their second consecutive match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Round of 16.
After all, it’s only halftimeTM, right? It’s the most common cliche, but it’s also true.
We are down 1-0 at halftime. I believe this group of players has the ability to respond to our need to respond.
Graham Potter, like all of us, had hoped to have N’Golo Kanté back in time for this game, but that won’t happen. Things won’t get any easier because of this, and neither will another game that Reece James misses. Having said that, Pulisic has had a few big Champions League nights of his own, suggesting that he could be a factor.
We’ll make a decision tomorrow, Reece. Christian is on the team, has trained, and appears to be in good shape.
N’Golo is too young for this; he’s just had two full instructional courses. He looks good, but it’s too soon. Therefore, we are going to maintain that progress. […] Due to his prolonged absence, the situation with him is complicated. He is therefore back in full training, but this is how we will get him ready to play in the Premier League or Champions League. At that point, we will need to increase his minutes so that he can spend some time in training and with the group. He won’t be able to enter immediately due to the 90-minute wait, but the fact that he is training with us and is training is exciting.
Since nearly five seasons ago, Chelsea has not won consecutive games. months, since matching away victories over AC Milan and Aston Villa by scores of 2-0. If you keep track, that’s more than 20 games, though it might be too depressing for anyone to actually keep track.
But, it’s just half-time!
“We are playing a top opponent who is in really good form. As a result, it presents a significant obstacle but also a fantastic opportunity. I’m sure Stamford Bridge will be rocking, and we’ll do everything in our power to win the game and advance.”
-Gabriel Potter; source: Football. London
