Darren Bent thinks Chelsea are really struggling without Christopher Nkunku in their side right now.
Christopher Nkunku, 25, is yet to make his competitive debut in Chelsea colours due to the knee injury he picked up in pre-season.
However, the French attacker was looking super impressive in warm-up matches for the Blues before his injury setback.
His record of 23 goals in 36 RB Leipzig games last season suggests he can add some much-needed firepower to Chelsea’s forward line. They’ve got to try to find a way to cope without him in the meantime, though.
TalkSPORT pundit Bent has pinpointed Nkunku’s absence in the opening weeks of the season as a big issue for Chelsea right now.
“Nkunku, there’s the problem there. They paid a lot of money for him, out… When Nkunku comes back, I think he will make a big difference,” Bent told talkSPORT.
The Guardian reported in August that Nkunku is likely to be absent for three and a half months after knee surgery.
Nkunku, who earns £195,000-a-week (Spotrac), will be such a great addition to the Chelsea ranks when he’s fit to play. However, Mauricio Pochettino’s side can’t afford to be cut too far adrift in the Premier League while he’s watching from the stands.
Newcastle striker Callum Wilson recently tipped Nkunku “to be a force” in England when he’s available to play, as quoted by ‘The Footballer’s Football Podcast’.
Our suggestion for Pochettino is to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation after the international break, something which was suiting his squad of players during pre-season fixtures.
Yes, the side would look a lot stronger with Nkunku in one of the attacking position behind a striker. But there’s still enough talented attackers with big potential to start games. For instance, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke all started from the bench in the weekend’s 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
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