Craig Burley is confident that one of Chelsea’s summer signings will definitely be a starter this season.
Chelsea have brought in a whole host of new players during the transfer window, including Pedro Neto and Joao Felix.
The two Portuguese attackers started on the bench in the Blues’ 6-2 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers over the weekend, but they have now given Enzo Maresca something to think about.
Neto and Felix came on in the second half and combined for Chelsea’s sixth goal, with the former setting up the latter. Felix has since shared the instructions Maresca gave him before he was introduced to the game.
Chelsea Head Coach Enzo Maresca with Pedro Neto and Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea during the UEFA Europa Conference League Play-Off 1st leg match betw...
Craig Burley backs Pedro Neto to take Mykhailo Mudryk’s spot at Chelsea
Mykhailo Mudryk started on the left for Chelsea in their victory at Molineux on Sunday but was taken off at half-time.
Mdryk was replaced by Neto, and Burley now expects the 24-year-old to start over him, describing the Ukrainian as a “waste of time”.
Speaking about the two on ESPN after the game, the former Chelsea midfielder said: “Not that we learned anything, but Mykhailo Mudryk is just going to be a waste of time as a starter.
“Pedro Neto will play there. He came on there, but he will play. Mudryk is just not consistent enough.”
Burley is not the only pundit who has been negative about Mudryk following his performance against Wolves. Jamie O’Hara has called for Mudryk to be sold instead of Raheem Sterling.
Will Pedro Neto be a starter for Chelsea this season?
Without a doubt. The Blues have just spent £54m on him and he has already made an impact after assisting Felix.
His final ball is so much better than Mudryk’s as well. Last season, for example, Neto came up with nine assists in 20 Premier League appearances. Meanwhile, his teammate only managed to register two in 31 games.
It is early days, which is probably why Neto is not starting for Chelsea yet. Eventually, you would expect the Portugal international to become a regular under Maresca, with his first Premier League start now likely to come on Sunday when the Blues face Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
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