Jason Cundy has claimed Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic “looks off the pace” since returning from the World Cup.
Kovacic, 28, was one of the last Chelsea players to return to Stamford Bridge after the World Cup this winter.
The £40million central midfielder was crucial for a Croatia side that finished third in the tournament.
He was rested for the win against Bournemouth and came off the bench in the draw with Nottingham Forest. However, he’s started back-to-back games now in consecutive defeats to Manchester City, one in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup.
Mateo Kovacic off the pace
TalkSPORT pundit and Chelsea fan Cundy suggests that Kovacic isn’t currently fully fit and operating at 100 per cent:
“Kovacic looks off the pace since the World Cup,” Cundy told talkSPORT.
If there is any fatigue in Kovacic’s game, it’s totally understandable after such a gruelling World Cup.
He did come off at half-time in the weekend’s latest loss against Man City, which was smart man-management from Graham Potter to protect one of his key players when the cup tie was literally over.
Chelsea aren’t playing attractive football right now, which makes for a bad mix when you combine that with poor results.
In our view, Kovacic still looks like one of the few on the pitch that can inject some extra quality.
Man City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly made an extra effort to speak with the Chelsea star after full-time of the recent league meeting. Our guess is that he had some kind words for one the top midfielders in the division.
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