Chelsea stand to benefit from a coronavirus-enforced lockdown, says Pat Nevin, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and N’Golo Kante given a chance to work on their fitness.
The Blues have seen their 2019-20 campaign punctuated by regular untimely setbacks on the injury front.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are among the other Stamford Bridge stars to have taken in unfortunate spells on the treatment table.
Frank Lampard has still been able to steer his side into the Premier League’s top four, despite seeing key men ruled out on a regular basis and no additions made through two transfer windows.
Chelsea are now taking in a break from competitive action, with there few benefits to be found in the Covid-19 pandemic which has swept the world.
They could, however, have a full complement of players at their disposal once action resumes, with walking wounded offered a chance to complete their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Former Blues star Nevin told the club’s official website: “We in the UK are only entering the first days of the lockdown and nobody is sure how long this planetary pandemic will paralyse the Premier League, but when it finishes it is certain that most of the players who have been injured will be fully fit by then and ready to start up again.
“Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and N’Golo Kante will each have had a very long period to let their various problems clear up.
“There are very few benefits for anyone during the current crisis and you wouldn’t crassly celebrate them anyway, but not only will these players be ready, willing and able when football starts again, they will also not have the huge disadvantage of having to catch up with match fitness to everyone else’s level.
“Absolutely no-one will have that mid-season match fitness right off the bat when a Premier League referee finally blows a whistle in anger once again, so they will all be on a proverbial, as well as literal, level playing field.
“Everyone on the planet is looking forward to and hoping for a clean bill of health, and players will be feeling the same be it virus or injury.”
Chelsea sat fourth in the Premier League table when football shut down, three points clear of the chasing pack, and are also through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – where they are due to face Leicester.