Premier League boss doesn't want Chelsea star to start against his team this weekend: "I hope he stays on the bench and doesn't play"
Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, has said that he hopes Mykhaylo Mudryk sits on the bench when his team faces Chelsea. On Saturday, April 15, the struggling west London club will host the Seagulls at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto De Zerbi, the manager of the Seagulls, talked about his friendship with Chelsea winger Mudryk, who he managed at Shakhtar Donetsk, before the game.
Mudryk's Stamford Bridge career has gotten off to a dismal start. Since moving from Shakhtar Donetsk for £89 million in January, he has made 10 appearances but has yet to score.
De Zerbi, though, believes the young player from Ukraine would succeed at Stamford Bridge and underlined that he has a particular bond with the player. As reported by Metro, he said at his pre-game press conference:
"[With Mudryk] I and my colleagues have a special relationship. To us, he resembles a son. I adore him, but I hope he sits on the sidelines and doesn't participate. We wish him luck in the upcoming game.
Added him:
"I believe Chelsea has had a challenging season, but they are still a huge, huge, huge team. This type of season can occur once. Any young player will find it more challenging to adjust to a new culture and footballing system. He must adjust and realise that his life has changed because Chelsea has so many prominent players, but I believe he is a good, intelligent individual. He has the potential to rise to the top.
Mudryk contributed nine assists and two goals in 19 games for Shakhtar Donetsk under De Zerbi.
Interim manager Frank Lampard updates Chelsea's top defender Kalidou Koulibaly's injury, saying the defender will be sidelined for a few weeks. The international from Senegal injured his hamstring while pursuing Rodrygo on April 12 during their 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid.
Before the Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion, Lampard spoke to the media and said the following, as reported by Football.London:
He is unavailable for both games. It would take weeks, not days. He is a very skilled and seasoned player. Many people discuss how our team is different from the Premier League squad in the Champions League, which is a disappointment but also a chance for others to rise up.
After moving to Chelsea from Napoli last summer, Koulibaly has made 31 appearances for the team in all competitions while recording 11 shutouts.
