Steve Nicol has claimed he doesn’t expect Chelsea boss Graham Potter to suddenly change his mind on Hakim Ziyech based off his World Cup performances.
Ziyech, 29, has been enjoying his football again this winter on the international stage.
The left-footed winger has impressed at the World Cup for Morocco, who play this afternoon against Croatia in the tournament’s third place play-off.
There’s been a lot to like about his displays in Qatar, with club teammate Trevoh Chalobah praising him for how well he’s done with Morocco.
However, will that translate back into club form when he returns soon to Stamford Bridge?
Ziyech World Cup performances
ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has explained Ziyech’s eye-catching performances at the World Cup won’t do much to sway Potter’s opinion of him.
He suggests the flair winger is very much a system player that will only fit certain styles.
“I would suggest he (Potter) probably knows everything about Ziyech he needs to know,” Nicol told ESPN.
“It will be more about how he, in particular, fits into what Potter wants to do at Chelsea, as opposed to what he’s done with Morocco.
“The clubs are not going to change the way they play to suit one person. It’s an individual thing for Ziyech, the World Cup, because it’s not going to change anything at his club.”
Ziyech has played in just six of the 14 games at the start of Potter’s era at Chelsea, which is very concerning when you consider how busy the fixture pile up was pre-World Cup.
In our view, he didn’t get as many opportunities in the line-up as some of his Chelsea rivals.
The £33million wide man is extremely talented and will thrive if Potter settles on a formation that suits him.
However, has the moment passed for his Blues career?
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