Carney Chukwuemeka eager to make his mark this season
Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has massive potential and quality, although he has not been able to display his skills and ability at Stamford Bridge owing to consistent injury problems. However, when fit, he has continued to be impressive for the West Londoners.
Chelsea signed the midfielder in a £20 million move from Aston Villa in the summer of 2022, where he penned down a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
Injury-hit midfielder Chukwuemeka back to full fitness
The former Aston Villa star was the only player to have played the full ninety minutes in the club’s first pre-season game and featured in the first half of Chelsea’s second game against Celtic. He will be looking to aggregate more minutes as he builds upon his strength and fitness ahead of the upcoming campaign.
What’s surprising is that the fixture against Wrexham is the first time that the 20-year-old has played a whole game since last pre-season, something that the player himself points out in an exclusive interview with Chelsea’s official website.
“It’s the first time I’ve played 90 minutes since last summer. I’m pleased with that, and getting those minutes under my belt early gives me something to build on in the games ahead. I pushed myself hard. I had multiple training camps to ensure I returned fit and strong. That, I think, showed against Wrexham. I still felt it a little toward the end of the game, but the work I’d done meant I was in shape to play the full 90.”
Moreover, his positional use on the right side of the pitch was also a massive change for him, something that he went on to admit.
“I’m more used to being on the left side, but it is good to play in different areas of the pitch. We’ve worked on the new shape in the first couple of weeks, so it will take some time to adapt to it all, but the coach saw the ideas on the pitch, and we worked well together.”
Chukwuemeka is a serious talent who has shown his capabilities in the Premier League. He will now be aiming to become a part of Enzo Maresca’s squad consistently in the upcoming campaign.
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How many goals do you think the 20-year-old will score this season? Let us know your thoughts below.
