Callum Hudson-Odoi, once again, was left out of the squad to face lowly Videoton in the Europa League.
Maurizio Sarri is under pressure to succeed and he is early in his tenure. Naturally, he will be risk averse when it comes to giving playing time to young players.
However, sympathy can only be limited. There is no reason why a player as talented as Hudson-Odoi should not, at the absolute minimum, be on the bench for matches against opposition as poor as Chelsea’s Europa League rivals.
Players such as him are the future of the club, especially since Financial Fair Play and complications from Brexit sure to affect incoming future transfers.
In an age of mercenary footballers who move to wherever the pay is highest, academy players are the last remaining link between fans and club. Players such as Hudson-Odoi have been at Chelsea for far longer than any first team regular. He could have left for free at any point. Yet, he did not.
Go along to any Chelsea academy match and you will see that many of them not only have the talent to make the grade for the first team, they also try significantly harder. They care. Because they grew up with Chelsea meaning the world to them.
Academy players need an opportunity. The Europa League is the perfect stage to allow such opportunity. There is little pressure and the opposition is fairly weak. There is nothing to lose and so much to gain. Yet, if no opportunity arrives now, when will it?
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