"I want to get more playing time" - Chelsea star speaks out on lack of opportunities and wishes to be a regular starter

Kumar
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel looks on
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel looks on

Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has explained that his goal is to get more playing time and become a regular at club level.

Pulisic made just 22 appearances in the Premier League in 2021-22 for the Blues, a tally lower than the previous two seasons. Of the 22 appearances, just 13 were starts, so he is clearly not Thomas Tuchel's favored option in attack.

The German likes to rotate his squad a lot, but Pulisic hasn't always been a regular at Stamford Bridge owing to his form and injury issues.

Since moving to Chelsea, Pulisic has missed as many as 44 games for the Blues and has never been able to become a regular starter for his club.

The 23-year-old is currently with his national team, who will face Morocco in a friendly tomorrow. Speaking ahead of the clash, he said he wants to play more regularly at club level:

"As far as right now, I'm obviously just focused on what I'm doing here. And I'm super excited to be here. And yeah, that's it. Of course, I want to get more playing time. I want to be on the field as much as I can and be the sharpest I can be and fit as well.
"And I think I still got a lot of games, but it's always something that I'm working at and trying to be regular at club level as well to put myself in the best position to be fit when I come here with the national team."

Chelsea will hope Pulisic reaches a higher level next season

The Blues made it to two cup finals in the 2021-22 season and lost both of them without conceding a goal in normal and extra time. Their Premier League title charge too fell apart in 2022, and one of the key reasons was the lack of a consistent goal-scorer.

Unlike Manchester City and Liverpool, Chelsea do not have wingers who can score goals on a consistent basis.

Pulisic hasn't always been a prolific goal-scorer, but if the American can improve his tally, he could become an automatic starter under Tuchel.

Pulisic scored six goals in 22 league appearances last season, a tally inferior to the number of strikes he managed over the 2019-20 season (nine goals).

Frequent muscle injuries have forced the American to play within himself, but if he can reach a higher level, Chelsea will have a top player on their hands next season.

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Edited by Arjun Panchadar