Managers, without a doubt, give players time to settle in after they arrive at a club after being transferred, but Graham Potter hasn’t had much of a choice.
Injuries have been plentiful, and he’s been bringing in players almost as soon as they arrive Joao Felix started in midweek, 30 hours after signing his contract.
So having to wait a week to see Benoit Badiashile, the defender who had arrived from Monaco, was almost strange. He began today, according to Football quotes. In London, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho lavished praise on the young defender:
“I thought Benoit did exceptionally well. It was a successful game for him. Koulibaly has played a lot of football, and his performance on Thursday was impressive.
“I thought Benoit did exceptionally well. It was a successful game for him. Koulibaly has played a lot of football, and the quick turnaround from Thursday was a factor. He passes the ball well and heads the ball out when necessary. He will need time to adjust to the Premier League, but it was a very positive experience.”
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We’re sure Koulibaly’s fitness issue influenced his decision, but we don’t see why Badiashile wouldn’t keep his spot in the future. KK has struggled greatly, whereas BB appeared to be at ease from the start.
The more we play him, the more at ease he will become, and while there will still be plenty of rotation, we believe he performed admirably.