Chelsea youngster Dion Rankine has been spotted in the club’s official gallery training with Graham Potter’s first team.
The new man in charge has been awarded a golden opportunity to assess his squad before the Premier League returns, with games against Fulham and Liverpool being postponed following the death of the Queen earlier this month.
Despite a solitary Champions League game, Potter has had a mini pre-season to get to know some of the fringe players in his squad.
The majority of his big players have been away for a week now, with the international break seeing a number of Chelsea stars such as Kai Havertz and Mason Mount impress.
Rankine spotted training
With many away, it has been a great opportunity for a number of the academy players to do their best to impress the new man in charge, who will no doubt be coming in with a clean slate.
One of those chosen to see if they can impress has been Rankine, who was spotted close to N’golo Kante, who has handed Potter a massive boost by returning to training today ahead of what’s set to be a very busy October.
Rankine has impressed since joining the Chelsea youth setup in 2016, with him drawing praise for his ‘lightning pace’ from Exeter manager Matt Taylor when his side faced the young Blues in the Papa John’s trophy last year.
After originally being a full-back, he has played higher in the Premier League 2 this season, scoring twice in six appearances.
While appearances for many of these youngsters may seem a bit away at this time, having the opportunity to impress Potter in training will be an invaluable experience for many of these future stars, and leaving an impression could see them turned to if a crisis crops up in the first team.