Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Darren Bent has weighed in on Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino’s likely frustration over Christopher Nkunku’s latest injury setback.
Nkunku, who clinched the Bundesliga Golden Boot last season, made a high-profile move to Chelsea for £52 million from RB Leipzig last summer. However, the 26-year-old faced a setback with a serious knee injury during the pre-season.
After overcoming his knee problem, the French international made his debut for Chelsea in December. However, with just 10 appearances under his belt, the Paris Saint-Germain academy graduate is now sidelined with an undisclosed injury for up to four weeks.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent expressed his views on Nkunku’s injury woes. Initially praising his talent, he said (h/t HITC):
“I remember watching a lot of Chelsea in the pre-season and he looked sharp as they come. [Mykhailo] Mudryk, [Nicolas] Jackson looked sharp. They were all combining well. He has shown flashes, he scored a lovely goal [in a 4-1 defeat] against Liverpool, chopped a couple of people and smashed it in.”
Bent, who scored 106 goals in 277 Premier League games, continued:
“But he just can’t stay fit. He has got to Chelsea, he is 26 now, so he is getting to the point where you are saying: ‘Come on now, you have to start delivering and you aren’t young anymore’.”
Reflecting on Pochettino’s likely sentiments, Bent concluded:
“For Pochettino, it must be frustrating because clearly there have been times when he has been on the bench and he hasn’t started. People have been probably wondering: ‘Why isn’t he starting?’ Clearly, he isn’t fit enough. Even when he came on in the [EFL Cup] final, nothing! I thought Nkunku was going to be that guy.”
So far, Nkunku has scored twice in 10 overall matches for Chelsea.
