“I hope he can continue to stay on course” - Thierry Henry unhappy with lack of playing time for Chelsea star

France U-21 manager and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has spoken up about Chelsea youngster Lesley Ugochukwu's situation at the English side this season. The manager revealed that he is unhappy with the young midfielder's minutes at the Premier League outfit since his move from Stade Rennais.

French youngster Lesley Ugochukwu was a surprise signing by Chelsea in the summer for around £23 million. The Blues signed the 19-year-old as their pursuit of Moises Caicedo was stalling, with Brighton & Hove Albion proving to be stubborn negotiators. They did eventually sign Caicedo for £115 million.

Ugochukwu, meanwhile, was initially earmarked for a loan move, but the teenager impressed Mauricio Pochettino and earned a place in the Blues squad. He has featured 11 times this season for his club, with only four of his appearances being starts, and has amassed 413 minutes in total.

Thierry Henry was appointed France U-21 manager after their U-21 Euros campaign, and he brought Ugochukwu into his squad. The former Monaco manager complained to L'Equipe that the youngster is not getting rhythm at his club due to the nature of his role.

He said:

“The problem is the same with Lesley. Even if the situation is different at Chelsea because in front of him, there are players like Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo.’"

He added:

“But he’s not playing, and nowadays, these players don’t even play with the reserve side to keep their rhythm. At the start of the season, you can benefit from the physical conditioning of the pre-season, but the benefits fade. I hope he can continue to stay on course physically.”

Lesley Ugochukwu is important for the Blues, especially when they look to add a physical presence in midfield to close out games. The teenager will benefit from playing with such top-level talents as Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, and Conor Gallagher at the club.

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Chelsea blessed with quality midfield choices

Chelsea have spared no cost in assembling some of the finest young talents in the world in their midfield. Their problem was evident after the preseason when Pochettino had to drop two of the finest U-20 midfielders, Andrey Santos and Cesare Casadei, from the squad.

The Blues have several young talents in their midfield, including their regulars Enzo Fernandez, Caicedo, and Gallagher. They also have the highly-rated duo of Romeo Lavia and Carney Chukwuemeka still out injured.

Chelsea have a midfield that will likely compete with the very best in the world over the next decade. The club must find a way to leverage the midfield quality and use it as a base to form a world-class squad.