Graham Potter has credited Denis Zakaria for remaining committed to the Chelsea cause.
As quoted by the club website, Potter applauded the dedication from the player on loan for Juventus.
It surely hasn’t been easy for Zakaria to remain focused on helping the Blues since his summer move to Stamford Bridge.
The 26-year-old has started just three times for Chelsea following that switch from Juventus on deadline day in September.
This takes his starting tally this term to four overall, having previously been in one XI for the Italian side.
His first for his current side came at home in the Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb, scoring what turned out to be the match winner.
Has Denis Zakaria done enough at Chelsea?
He made his first Premier League appearance in the 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday.
Zakaria enjoyed a brilliant, if not slightly unsung, evening under the South West London moonlight.
It was a timely remainder to Potter and the board that, if given a proper chance, he could justify a permanent transfer to Cobham.
“Whenever Denis has played he has not let us down,” stated the Chelsea manager.
“Playing in the Champions League against Zagreb, he scored and he showed his quality.
“He’s had to be patient. We had some good options in midfield and you have to remember, we didn’t lose anything for the first few games so it was hard for him to get that opportunity
“But he’s remained professional and worked really hard and that’s why he got his rewards on Tuesday night with a decent performance and contribution to a win.”
With N’Golo Kante absent for while, Mateo Kovacic just coming back from the World Cup and Ruben Loftus-Cheek returning to fitness, Zakaria has a real chance to stake a claim in the 11.
A trip to Nottingham Forest on New Year’s Day could be the perfect opportunity to impress Potter and the fans further.
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