Chelsea: Graham Potter tries to calm expectations ahead of Mykhailo Mudryk debut
Graham Potter insists £88m signing Mykhailo Mudryk ‘needs time to adapt’ but says he could make his debut at Liverpool, with Anfield clash coming too soon for Reece James and Ben Chilwell
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Chelsea boss Graham Potter has attempted to calm expectations surrounding new signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who could make his debut at Anfield on Saturday.
The Blues completed the signing of the Ukrainian from Shakhtar Donetsk for a massive £88million fee on Sunday.
Potter’s side face Liverpool in a battle between ninth and tenth in the Premier League in the early kick-off on Saturday, and he has revealed that Mudryk could feature.
Graham Potter has tried to calm down expectations surrounding new signing Mykhailo Mudryk
The 22-year-old Ukrainian made the switch to Stamford Bridge for a mammoth £88m fee
Mudryk has worked well in training but Potter insists he will ‘need time to adapt’ at Chelsea
However, he claimed that the game will come too soon for Reece James and Ben Chilwell.
He said in his pre-match press conference: ‘He hasn’t played so much football recently but has been training well. There’s a chance [he could make his debut].
‘We’ve got to help everybody understand that he is coming from a different league and has to adapt.
‘He is a young player that has a lot of potential but has had good experiences already. He is an exciting player.
‘He’s very happy to be here. He is looking forward to his career here and looking forward to get started.’
Reece James is back in training after suffering with a knee injury throughout the season
Mudryk’s last game for Shakhtar came on November 23, just days after the start of the World Cup.
The 22-year-old had scored 10 goals in 18 games for the Ukrainian side this season before his move to Chelsea.
Mudryk became Chelsea’s fifth signing this January, joining David Datro Fofana, Joao Felix, Benoit Badiashile and Andrey Santos through the door.
The game with Liverpool is too soon for James and Ben Chilwell (pictured) to return into action
Meanwhile, Chelsea have agreed a £29million deal with PSV Eindhoven for Noni Madueke but have seen a £55m bid for Moises Caicedo rejected by Brighton.
Winger Madueke, 20, is expected to complete his move to Stamford Bridge shortly.
Following the signing of Mudryk and before Madueke, the Blues have now spent £445m since Todd Boehly’s takeover.
James has returned to training after struggling with a knee injury throughout the season, though Potter said that Saturday’s game with Liverpool is soon for him to feature.
The same can be said for Chilwell, who has been out of action since the start of November.
