Marc Cucurella names Chelsea teammate who could make impact against Liverpool
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Marc Cucurella has argued that Alejandro Garnacho's slow start at Chelsea has not been entirely his fault and expects him to deliver against Liverpool.
Since joining Chelsea from Manchester United at the end of August, Garnacho has made little impact on the team, mostly due to limited chances.
The 21-year-old has made just four appearances for the Blues, with only two of them as a starter, and is yet to register an assist or a goal.
The cutback he made, which led to Benfica's own goal that secured Chelsea the win on Tuesday, has been the highlight of his stint at the club so far.
However, according to Cucurella, Chelsea's recent red card problems hurt their attackers, including Garnacho.
"He is a very important player with a lot of qualities," Cucurella said about Garnacho after Tuesday's win over Benfica, as quoted by BBC Sport.
"It is true in the league that we have had 10 men a lot, and it is difficult to put on a winger because we have been mostly defending.
"I think today he had an opportunity and showed his level, and that he can help the team.
"He had a really good game (against Benfica) and I hope he can do it again on Saturday (against Liverpool)."
Garnacho's strong performance against Jose Mourinho's Benfica could help him retain the starting spot this weekend.
Considering Cole Palmer's expected absence in the upcoming game, the rest of the Chelsea offensive line will have to step up their game in creating chances, which is something they have struggled with recently.
Bear in mind that, while Chelsea have not failed to score at least one goal in a match since the draw with Crystal Palace in August, the last two wins were by one-goal leads.
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.