Graham Potter may have been expecting to work on Hakim Ziyech's future this week. The 29-year-old wasn't amongst the Chelsea players many would have had as favourites to qualify for the World Cup knockout stages, even fewer will have had him down in the last eight.
Morocco have shocked most people in this sense, even Ziyech's teammate Cesar Azpilicueta, who exited what will almost certainly be his last World Cup, if not his last international major tournament. Azpilicueta's Spain side were unable to get past Morocco, unable to score in normal time, extra time and only buried one penalty in the subsequent shootout.
It will be a liberating period too for Ziyech. A player that has been doubted and criticised for most of his last 18 months at Stamford Bridge, he will be enjoying the minutes in Qatar perhaps more than his fellow countrymen. When he returns to SW6, be it as a quarter finalist, semi-finalist, runner up or even a champion, attention will turn quickly to his Chelsea future, which isn't as much of a fun topic.
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Having wanted out for most of the summer and being unable to convince Thomas Tuchel or Graham Potter of his long-term worth for the Blues, he has played only a handful of minutes. Barely featuring and largely waiting for the next window he could leave, and that's just how Joe Cole sees it.
Speaking about the 29-year-old, the former Chelsea midfielder said: “He just looks like a happier player for Morocco. He’s had a very difficult time at Chelsea and he hasn’t had a rhythm to his game.
“The Premier League doesn’t suit him. It’s aggressive, up and down. Playing for Ajax he could hug the touchline and the team would very much play through the lines, give him the ball and he’s got a lovely left-foot, comes inside and delivers the ball. But when we’ve watched him here, he’s playing with an intensity and a smile on his face. Ziyech is a talented boy but it’s just not worked for him at Chelsea.”
Having gained more watchers across the world at this tournament, Ziyech has done himself and his club some good. In the perfect shop window he has made himself one of the stars and that could be of major benefit when it comes to January. He can also help Chelsea in another way.
Morocco's other standout player is Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi. He has been marauding on the right alongside Ziyech all tournament and demonstrated his confidence with the match-winning Panenka penalty too. Hakimi has been a Chelsea target for a while but the Blues chose against pushing blow-for-blow with PSG last summer in a battle to sign him.
Instead, Chelsea have relied upon Reece James and a mixture of makeshift sources of defensive width. Azpilicueta himself has featured, Trevoh Chalobah has played as a full-back, Ruben Loftus-Cheek has done the job too. Ziyech has even been tried there in moments.
None of these players can match up to the strength, skill and balance that James offers Chelsea, and finding someone to cover for him and compete with the 22-year-old remains an important task for Todd Boehly. With James spending prolonged periods out injured in the past two years, Hakimi would, in hindsight, have been a perfect back-up to the England international.
James is working with his teammates in Abu Dhabi but isn't ready for matches yet, Potter explained, and Chelsea restart their domestic action in just under three weeks. "Reece is not quite fully training but he's integrating into training along with Wesley [Fofana]," the boss said.
With that in mind, Ziyech could help his current side out by dropping a good word in for the Blues. Although there is currently nothing to suggest PSG would entertain a sale for Hakimi, Chelsea's need for a player of his calibre and position, plus their previous interest - registering a £56million bid in 2021 - could see them go back into the market for him.
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