Pat Nevin has backed Jorginho to benefit from the World Cup break with Chelsea likely to be dependent on players that weren't in Qatar to help them through a tough festive period. Although no Premier League matches have been played in the past four weeks there is still a busy schedule to cater for.
Graham Potter has had the chance to recharge and to work with the remaining members of his squad but that has been somewhat affected by injuries to Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N'Golo Kante and most recently Armando Broja. Only James and Fofana appear to be back up to speed.
In that sense, the break may not act as a break for many players even if it has opened up the chance for more youth players to stake their claim. Lewis Hall now appears to be a first-team player whilst Omari Hutchinson might not be too far behind him.
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Chelsea have also been lucky in that none of their 12 players reached the final in Qatar and only two were involved in semi-final matches. Mateo Kovacic and Hakim Ziyech flew the flags high for their country and did Chelsea proud but Potter may not be too worried by their surge late into the tournament.
Kovacic played four more minutes in Qatar than he did in the league up to November 12 and Ziyech got nearly three times more action for his country than he saw for his club in the opening part of the season. Although Thiago Silva was still heavily involved for Brazil he got a rest in one of their five matches and didn't go past the quarter finals whereas other key players Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling were both out of England's team after the group stages and also went out in the last eight.
Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly were both knocked out in the last-16 and have had ample recovery time. All in all it hasn't been as damaging on the legs as it could have been, but Nevin still thinks that those that stayed in Cobham and went to the warm weather camp in Abu Dhabi will be vital come December 27 and the next league match.
Speaking to the club website, he said, "Another player affected in a more positive way could be Jorginho. Italy not qualifying while being European champions was a real shock but considering the games Jorginho has played in the past few years, maybe a bit of a break is what he needed more than most. I have great hopes for him returning in the best and sharpest shape he has been in for a while. With the likes of Reece James also getting the time to recover, there are a few positives to take on board."
Jorginho has continued to play under Potter in midfield but looked ragged along with the rest of his teammates towards the end of the pre-World Cup fixtures. With a month out from competitive action, it is one of the longest breaks he has had since 2020. With this in mind, Nevin added, "To be fair, I think the break couldn’t have come at a better time for us.
"The form and the results had dipped and Graham Potter needed a bit of time to take stock after a brutally busy period since his arrival. His arrival may not be the one we are talking about most in the coming weeks as the transfer window looms into view."
Chelsea play again in seven days' time against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.
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