Chelsea have returned to form under newly-appointed head coach Graham Potter, with the former Brighton tactician leading the London giants to wins in his first three Premier League games in charge. However, not everyone is enjoying the season at Stamford Bridge.
One of those frustrated figures at the club is none other than Christian Pulisic, the U.S. men's national team star who continues to struggle for regular playing with his English club.
While the former Dortmund ace has featured in eight of Chelsea's nine Premier League outings so far, the 24-year-old has made only two starts this campaign and has been on the pitch for only 238 minutes.
Given that the FIFA World Cup is fast approaching and Pulisic, alongside several other USMNT talents, will be keen on doing the Stars and Stripes proud at Qatar 2022, the lack of minutes at Chelsea is far from ideal.
And with the Blues preparing for an interesting showdown with Brentford in the league, Potter addressed this issue. Unfortunately for Pulisic, the English tactician offered the American attacker, as well as any other fringe player, a dose of reality.
Graham admitted that he understands everyone's frustration over a lack of playing time in the build-up to the highly-anticipated FIFA World Cup, which will be held in winter for the first time ever. However, he also added that his job is not to prepare people for Qatar 2022 but to field the most suitable players for Chelsea. Additionally, Potter also stressed the importance of being ready for the inevitable opportunity to displace someone in his starting eleven.
"You can imagine my focus is on Chelsea. I understand that all the players have ambition and want to play for different reasons, for their families, careers or World Cups,'' Potter said, as per Goal.
''That's all fine but it's my job to select the right team for whatever game. [I'm] not saying I am right all the time, I am not, but somebody has got to make the call. With Christian I would say he has been fantastic around the place, been really good with teammates, contributed against Wolves. He is pushing for a place, pushing for a start. Things change quickly in football and he needs to be ready."
As the Chelsea boss pointed out, Pulisic played a crucial part in the club's recent victory over Wolves, with the USMNT ace scoring in that 3-0 victory. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see what role, if any, Christian will play in Wednesday's showdown against Brentford.
The London giants will visit Thomas Frank's side in this fixture and will look to make it four wins in a row under their new head coach. The two-time UEFA Champions League winners are currently fourth in the table with a three-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United, and with the Red Devils set to face third-placed Tottenham on Wednesday as well, Chelsea could stretch that advantage to six points.
