Chelsea Manager Liam Rosenior confirms forgotten £18.5m player is “close” to first appearance of the season after Enzo Maresca moved him to U21 team
Liam Rosenior has revealed that Dario Essugo is nearing a comeback and was on the verge of entering the pitch during Wednesday night’s Arsenal match.
The 20-year-old midfielder joined Chelsea last summer for £18.5m from Sporting Lisbon and made his first appearance at the Club World Cup. Unfortunately, Essugo sustained a thigh injury while representing Portugal’s under-21 side and hasn’t played this season.
Extended recovery from injury
Following surgery, Essugo was originally projected to be sidelined for approximately 12 weeks, but his recovery has taken considerably longer than anticipated.
Chelsea brought him in as cover for Moises Caicedo, and with Romeo Lavia also struggling with fitness problems, the Blues have found themselves stretched thin in central midfield.
Rosenior provides encouraging update
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website, Rosenior offered positive news about Essugo’s imminent return: “He was very close to coming on against Arsenal. Actually, I called him to come on and I changed because other things had happened in that timeframe.”
The manager explained his decision to keep the youngster on the bench: “Physically some of the other players were tiring and I felt I needed to keep Enzo [Fernandez] and Andrey [Santos] in the middle of the pitch because Enzo was outstanding, and Andrey in his own way was very good.”
Rosenior emphasized his cautious approach with the returning midfielder: “Dario’s close. I’m aware of his abilities, I’m aware of his strengths, but I want to give him the best possible moment to show himself in the best way coming back from a long time out because he is a very good player.”
Summer transfer plans
Despite Essugo’s approaching return to fitness, reports indicate that recruiting a new midfielder remains one of Chelsea’s top priorities for the upcoming summer transfer window.
