One player currently on loan from Chelsea has now admitted that he thought he would have been playing more for the club this season.
Ian Maatsen told the Guardian that he believed he was ready for more minutes at a big club, however noted it would have been a difficult decision for the manager to make.
Maatsen is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund, where he is finally being given a chance to show the quality many knew he had.
Chelsea will have been more than aware that they had a player with real talent on their hands after watching him play in the recent pre-season campaign.
He was the player Mauricio Pochettino called upon the most, reportedly leaving him very impressed in the process.
However, when the season got underway appearances quickly dried up. The Argentine never took the chance to feature the Dutchman in his regular position of left-back.
Maatsen expected to play more
Now, Maatsen has admitted that he expected to be playing more for Chelsea this season.
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He said: “I had trust at Chelsea but with the pressure they are under it is sometimes difficult for a manager to let everyone play – especially young talents with potential. He has to make decisions for the team. You have to deal with it as a young player. Sometimes it’s not fair but maybe it’s the best decision for the club and other teammates. I appreciate that. But I want to play football.
“I thought I was ready to compete for the big clubs. But sometimes football works like this. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities. It’s not the end of the world but you have to be ready. You always have to believe because football can go quickly.”
The left-back role has been affected badly by injuries this season, often leaving just one option fit at a time.
Currently it is Ben Chilwell who is absent from the squad, with it being claimed that he is seeing a specialist over his most recent issue.
Thankfully, Marc Cucurella has returned in recent weeks to training, and made his first appearance for the club of 2024 on Monday night against Newcastle in the Premier League.
