Mauricio Pochettino is searching for ways to unlock the talent trapped inside Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian has struggled since his £88.5million January move from Shakhtar Donetsk but has started to look more threatening in recent weeks.
He was given a standing ovation after an improved display in last week’s 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Brighton and is set to be handed another start, against Fulham, tonight.
An injury crisis at Chelsea has left Pochettino without at least 10 players and given Mudryk a run of games to play his way into form.
Mudryk has been working relentlessly on the training ground to prove himself after an underwhelming start.
The 22-year-old has only a limited grasp of English and his adaptation to a new country has not been helped by the instability at Chelsea.
He is already on his third manager at Stamford Bridge and his confidence has dipped again this season after impressing in the European Under-21 Championship in the summer.
Mudryk is a raw talent and tactically he is not yet up to speed with what Pochettino asks of him. For all his impressive dribbling and ball-striking, he has struggled with his defensive duties.
He starred in a Shakhtar team that played on the break in the Champions League, giving him space to hurt teams, but Pochettino’s high-possession style has forced him to adapt his game. Pochettino, though, is confident the winger will come good.
“He is unique,” said the boss. “It is a good challenge for him and for us [the coaching staff].
“Misha is a very talented player but you need to go with him very slowly. He is now trying to be more open and trying to adapt and to be more involved in every single situation, not only on the field, off the field also.
“He is making a massive effort to try and integrate himself and understand better what it means to play like a team.”
Mudryk spends hours working on his strength and speed work. There have been concerns he has been spending too much time in the gym and Chelsea have reduced his extra strength sessions, in a bid to help his conditioning.
Chelsea could do with Mudryk rediscovering his best form as they bid to kick-start their season in tonight’s west London derby at Craven Cottage. The Blues are languishing in 15th place and are already 11 points outside the top four after playing just six games this term.
There is already a danger of this season unravelling and Pochettino is set to start Mudryk on the left wing, alongside Enzo Fernandez and Cole Palmer, behind Raheem Sterling in attack.
Just before Mudryk snubbed Arsenal to join Chelsea in January, he was tipped as a potential Ballon d’Or winner by Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi, who coached him at Shakhtar.
There was a lot of hype around the Ukraine star and the challenge for Pochettino is to unleash his quality.
