Liam Rosenior confirms two Chelsea academy stars will be involved in Wrexham tie
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Liam Rosenior said two Chelsea academy wingers will travel with the senior team for Saturday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Wrexham.
On Friday, Rosenior revealed that Estevao is unlikely to be ready to be involved against Wrexham, despite his recent return to the training pitch.
This, along with Jamie Gittens' hamstring injury absence, has left Chelsea with limited options on the wings.
Pedro Neto is back in contention after serving a one-match Premier League suspension against Aston Villa, but Alejandro Garnacho, the only other natural winger in the team, played a full 90-minute game at Villa Park on Wednesday.
So, it makes sense for Rosenior to turn to academy options to bolster Chelsea's flanks.
Jesse Derry and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen will provide Rosenior exactly what he needs.
"Ryan and Jesse will travel with the group, so they will be part of the squad for Wrexham," Rosenior confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
"I’m very fortunate to have Calum (McFarlane) in our staff, who has an unbelievable understanding of the academy, the players that are coming through.
"I want to develop players from within this academy as well, so they’ll be travelling with us."
Rosenior gave Derry his Chelsea debut in the FA Cup win over Hull City in the previous round, so his inclusion is hardly a surprise.
Kavuma-McQueen, on the other hand, is slightly younger at 17 and still waiting for his senior Chelsea debut.
He made the bench when Chelsea beat Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League under Enzo Maresca back in October, but unfortunately did not get the chance to get on the pitch.
Several Chelsea academy stars have impressed Rosenior
Rosenior further added that he has been keeping an eye on the academy, and several exciting talents, in particular, have caught his attention.
"Jesse’s really impressed me, Ryan's impressed, but it’s not just those two," the Chelsea boss admitted.
"There have been a few that I’ve got to see in training when they’ve been brought up that I’m really happy with."
"Reggie Watson has trained with us a few times; he’s really impressed me. It’s scary, the age that he is.
"Young Mahdi (Nicoll-Jazuli) has been up a few times; he’s an outstanding talent as well
"There are some outstanding young players in the group.
"We just need to make sure we put them in at the right time, and they get the experiences that they need to continue their development."
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.