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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ended his previous campaign on a high after adding another Champions League trophy to the club cabinet. With newfound confidence, the Blues started their 2021-22 season with a bang. They stayed unbeaten in their first five games of the new season.
Things took a surprising turn for the Londoners by the end of the year as they started dropping unexpected points. From there onwards, the Blues saw themselves fall behind Manchester City and Liverpool. The current UCL champions are seemingly out of the title race.
However, Tuchel has not given up on his hopes of winning more silverware this season and is doing his best to finish the season on a high. The German coach boasts immense squad depth and has utilized numerous players over the course of the season. On the same note, let's take a look at five players who have played the least minutes for the west London club this season.
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5. Saúl Ñíguez - 1061
Saul Niguez arrived from Atletico Madrid as a loanee at the start of the season.
Despite being 5th in the list of players with the least playing minutes, Saul has achieved 1061 minutes in the Blue jersey so far this season. He has featured in 20 games across all competitions for the Blues. Eight of them came in the Premier League.
Saul Niguez's maturity and calm playing style comes off as an asset to the young Blues' side. The loan term will keep the Spanish midfield at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season. However, there is an option to make the move permanent.
4. Ben Chilwell - 840
Ben Chilwell was signed by the Blues in 2020 to tackle their defensive problems. The former Leicester man proved to be the missing piece in the team's strategy and thus enjoyed plenty of playing time in his first season itself.
He played 42 games across all competitions for the Londoners in his debut season at Stamford Bridge. He was all set to continue with his fine run the on-going season as well. However, as a result of Tuchel's squad shuffling, Chilwell couldn't find regular playing time.
The same was topped by a cruciate ligament injury that he sustained during their UCL group stage fixture against Juventus. A week later, the club released a statement which said Ben Chilwell will miss the remainder of the season following surgery.
3. Ross Barkley - 428
Ross Barkley was born in Liverpool and Everton as a boy. He ascended through the ranks and eventually secured a spot in the first team by the age of 18. He spent six seasons with the Merseysiders and played nearly 180 games for them across all competitions.
Barkley later joined Chelsea during the 2018 winter transfer window. The midfielder's performances during Chelsea's training sessions were massively appreciated. He eventually earned a regular spot in his first full season at Stamford Bridge.
The England international continued to be a crucial part of the team in the 2019-20 season as well. However, he was sent on loan to Aston Villa during the 2020-21 season as the team was crowded with midfielders at the time.
He returned to Chelsea at the start of the season and has cumulatively played 428 minutes.
2. Kurt Zouma - 66
Apart from the 2016-17 Premier League season, where he suffered a serious injury, Kurt Zouma has been of very much importance to the Chelsea side. The defender was signed to make up for Chelsea's aging centre-back options. He formed a formidable pairing with club legend John Terry.
Upon returning from his injury, Zouma found it difficult to find a place back into the squad and was eventually loaned out to Stoke City for the entire 2018-19 season. Stoke City faced relegation the same season and thus Zouma joined Everton the following season (2019-20).
He enjoyed another fine season (2020-21) before being loaned out once again, this time to West Ham United. Zouma played his only 66 minutes in Chelsea's UEFA Super Cup win over Villareal. He is currently a starter under David Moyes at the London Stadium.
1. Emerson Palmieri - 4
Emerson Palmieri is the Chelsea player with the least minutes played for the club this season. He came on as a late substitute in Chelsea's 3-0 home victory over Crystal Palace on 14th August 2021.
Five days after making his only appearance for Chelsea, Emerson Palmieri joined French side Lyon in search of regular playing opportunities. He joined the seven-time Ligue 1 champions on loan until the end of the season.
The talented left-back has instantly made himself a regular cog in Lyon's team. As of now, the 27-year-old has played 28 games across all competitions for the Ligue outfit. With the amount of competition back at his parent club, it is most likely that the Brazilian will try his best to stay at Lyon.
