Why Christopher Nkunku hasn’t been starting – and what he can do to change that | OneFootball

Transfermarkt have just put out an interesting piece on Christopher Nkunku, who they say should be Chelsea’s first choice striker.

They point to a lot of very solid stats to prove it. The Frenchman grabbed the winner on Saturday night and did a defiant celebration which showed that he was thinking the same way. His only stats under Maresca have been in the Conference League, although his goal at the weekend combined with Pedro Neto’s disappointing effort could potentially lead to a reshuffle ahead of our next game.

After spending €60m on the France international, there’s an expectation that some effort will be made at some point to try and get him into the starting team again, and the manager will know it. Nkunku’s record at Chelsea has seen him rack up 0.73 goals or assists per 90, a great return if he can keep it up in the Premier League.

Christopher Nkunku and Jadon Sancho celebrate a late winner.

Where Nkunku must step up

Of course, stats are great, but we all know why Mauricio Pochettino and then Enzo Maresca have not fully taken to Nkunku just yet.

Above all it’s just a question of fitness. He missed a large chunk of last season entirely, and when he did return around Christmas there were constant setbacks big and small. That kept him from building up any form personally, and also meant it was hard for Pochettino to figure out how best to work him into the team.

But even when Nkunku had periods where he was fit, a lack of real industry in defending from the front was an issue for Pochettino. And we suspect Maresca too won’t be playing Nkunku from the start until he’s really happy with his contributions defensively.

So while his attacking stats continue to look great, it’s really the other side of the game that is holding him back.