Graham Potter has revealed that Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic has not started the last two games for Chelsea because of an injury and wanting to manage his workload.
The 28-year-old has been battling injuries early on this season and has only played the full 90 minutes in two games. Since the arrival of Potter, he has featured in every match and had a positive impact on the team.
In the most recent fixture for the Blues, against Manchester United, he was called upon from the bench after just 36 minutes.
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He replaced Marc Cucurella in a substitution that changed Chelsea's shape against the Red Devils and improved their performance. While the game ended 1-1 due to a last minute header from Casemiro, it was a good display from Kovacic who changed the pace of the game.
Since arriving at Stamford Bridge on loan in 2018 and then permanently in 2019, he has become a vital part of the squad.
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His whole time at Chelsea however has been hampered by some injuries, limiting his playing time.
The same can be said this season, even though he performs well when on the pitch, his injuries have held him back.
Currently, the west London side are in one of the busiest parts of the season, with Premier League games at the weekend and matches in Europe in midweek as well.
This intensity is clearly a lot for Kovacic, and it has meant Potter has had to take extra care when rotating his squad. In this last two games, the midfielder has not started, and as his displays have been classy, it has left some fans puzzled.
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Following the game against United, the Chelsea head coach was asked if there was a reason why he was not starting. He responded: “He’s been nursing his knee for all season pretty much and you look at the schedule, it’s Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday and it’s impossible for him to start all the games.
"We’ve planned for him to have less time than he has but things have conspired so he has been on the pitch.
"We all know his quality but at the same time, we’ve got to understand the player’s situation as well.”
READ MORE: Pulisic reveals key change in Potter's Chelsea training methods compared to Tuchel's
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It is a tricky situation to balance, Potter will know what a crucial asset the Croatian is to his side, but he has to tread carefully so Kovacic does not suffer a further injury.
Having played a bigger role at the weekend than expected against Erik ten Hag's side, it is likely he will be bound to the side-lines in the Blues' next game.
They face a trip to Austria to take on Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League in a game that could qualify them for the Round of 16. Kovacic may still get some minutes under his belt, but it is likely they will be rather restricted.
Topics: Chelsea, Mateo Kovacic, Graham Potter, Football
Sam Collins