RB Leipzig manager Marcos Rose has confirmed Chelsea-linked Christopher Nkunku is close to a return after a three-month injury absence.
Nkunku, who has scored an impressive 12 goals in 15 appearances in the Bundesliga this season, has been out since November due to a knee injury.
Timo Werner’s summer return has helped Leipzig fill the void, but the fact that Nkunku leads the club’s goalscoring chart in the league by seven goals illustrates his importance to the team.
Leipzig will face second-placed Union Berlin this weekend, but their toughest test will be the Champions League round-of-16 tie against Manchester City.
Speaking to Bild, who claims that Nkunku is expected to be available to face the Premier League champions, Leipzig boss Rose provided a positive update regarding the forward’s injury.
“He [Nkunku] works extremely hard on the pitch every day and does practically everything in terms of individual training,” the manager told the German publication.
“He can do every movement very well, he can shoot, he can cross, he can sprint.”
This might also spell good news for Chelsea, who reportedly have a deal in place over the France international’s summer transfer.
There is always a worry that the knee ligament injury may have an impact on Nkunku’s electric pace, which makes him such a dangerous attacker in the first place.
This does not seem to be the case, though, based on Rose’s comments.
Despite the abundance of attacking options that Graham Potter currently has at his disposal at Chelsea, Nkunku would still be a welcome addition to the team.
A player with Nkunku’s goalscoring instinct is exactly what Chelsea need in their squad.
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