Zola disagrees with criticism over Hudson-Odoi treatment
Chelsea assistant coach Gianfrano Zola has refuted claims that Callum Hudson-Odoi is being mismanaged this season.
Questions were asked after the youngster was only given six minutes off the bench in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Malmo on Thursday.
Hudson-Odoi was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, with Sky Sports claiming that he was the subject of a £35m bid from the Bundesliga giants.
However, despite one of Europe’s best clubs wanting to bring him in, Hudson-Odoi is yet to start a Premier League game for the club.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the criticism of Chelsea’s use of Hudson-Odoi, Zola said this:
Sorry but I disagree with this. He is always on the edge of the team.
As soon as there is an opportunity he plays, sometimes from the beginning. The manager is giving plenty of reasons for him to feel involved and wanted.
There are not many 18-year-olds at top clubs in Europe who are playing as much as him. On top of that, he is a player that we appreciate and believe is growing up.
He has a bright future at this club. All of the coaching group likes him. You need to understand he is surrounded by top players and you have to work hard to be better than them.
That’s what we want from him, to make sure he keeps improving because he can do better.