One thing that cannot be denied about Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is that he has kept the door open for youngsters to make their mark on his side.
He has certainly been helped by the presence of the Conference League in the schedule, giving him the opportunity to rest a number of his key players for Premier League outings.
Chelsea notably left the majorIty of their first team at home for the trip to Kazakhstan, where the youngsters braved the freezing conditions to win 3-1.
Maresca has even given a number of those youngsters the chance to impress in the Premier League. The biggest surprise of the squad selection for the win over Manchester United was the presence of Tyrique George up front.
With no Nicolas Jackson, Marc Guiu or Christopher Nkunku available, the natural winger was preferred in the role to 17-year-old Shumaira Mheuka, who also has his Premier League debut under his belt.
England U19s pin hope on Chelsea youngster at European Championships
Mheuka nearly broke a Premier League record after coming close to scoring just seconds into his first appearance in the competition, however his impressive campaign has not gone unnoticed at international level.
The striker has made nine appearances for the England Under 19s already despite being just 17, and looks as if he is going to add to that tally over the summer.
As per their official squad announcement, Mheuka has been named in the squad for the upcoming European Championships alongside club teammates Kiano Dyer and Harrison Murray-Campbell.
Josh Acheampong and George have both not been named in the squad, however this is likely due to them gearing up to be ready for Chelsea’s Club World Cup campaign next month.
Mheuka impressing Chelsea teammates
Despite only taking part in first team activities this season, it has not taken long for the youngster to impress some of his more senior teammates.
Romeo Lavia has high hopes for Mheuka after watching him train with the first team this season, while Acheampong believes Mheuka will break into the first team as the next top young player.
With it unlikely that he features in either of Chelsea’s last two games of the season, it will be the U19 European Championships that will be firmly on the striker’s mind going forwards.
