Everything lines up for Chelsea wonderkid’s biggest start yet – if Maresca has the nerve | OneFootball

Little by little, Tyrique George is starting to make an impact on this Chelsea squad.

While going out of the EFL Cup and FA Cup pretty early has hurt this chances of minutes, the Conference League has been useful for him, and the injuries and suspensions to other attacking players have allowed him some league cameos too. He’s up to 14 appearances, 5 starts and 588 minutes on total on the season now after another cameo at the weekend, and could well start tomorrow night as we take on Copenhagen in the second leg of our Conference League tie.

We’d dearly love George to start at Stamford Bridge, but Enzo Maresca remains pretty cautious with his team selection, and with the result very much up in the air after a 2-1 first leg final score, we hadn’t been getting our hopes up.

Latest illness news brings George a big chance

Defiant Enzo Maresca in his presser ahead of Aston Villa.

But today’s press conference from Enzo Maresca has given George’s chances a major boost. Maresca reported that Christopher Nkunku (who has been playing on the wing in recent games) had been struck with the same illness that Reece James and Cole Palmer have had. The Frenchman only trained today for the first time since Sunday’s game. That surely means he can’t be expected to start tomorrow AND against Arsenal on Sunday.

On the basis that Maresca would prefer his more experienced players available for that Premier League clash, and with so many attackers out, we are surely very close to Ty’s most meaningful start yet, in one of the most important games of the season so far.

He and Jadon Sancho could start out wide, with Palmer and Nkunku on the bench ready to enter the fray if needed later on. Come on Enzo, given give him a chance!