Graham Potter's team selection for Chelsea's Premier League return against Bournemouth is set to be a really interesting one and one that is near-impossible to predict.
The Blues welcome the Cherries to Stamford Bridge on December 27 in what will be their first game following the World Cup break. Chelsea saw 12 members of their first-team squad travel to the tournament in Qatar, but none of them have made the final between Argentina and France on Sunday.
While a hefty portion of Chelsea's senior squad have been out representing their countries, some members had the chance to impress Potter and his backroom staff. Chelsea spent a couple of weeks in Abu Dhabi taking part in a vigorous hot weather training camp and playing a friendly – a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa – along the way.
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It was a chance for those on the fringes of the first-team, or the squad, to impress Potter. Omari Hutchinson is one player who falls into that category. The 19-year-old attacker was allowed the chance to travel with the first-team squad just before the World Cup, where he was an unused substitute against Brighton and Newcastle United in the Premier League, as well as away at Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.
"It's been a great experience," Hutchinson said to Chelsea's in-house media team. "I'm just getting used to the boys, getting used to their culture and how they are in the building. It's good for me and it's going to benefit me in the long run."
Arriving from London rivals Arsenal over the summer, Hutchinson, despite his tender age, came with a big reputation. So far he's massively impressed senior officials at Chelsea hence the fact he's been so close to a first-team opportunity under Potter.
Hutchinson has seen Potter hand his academy teammate Lewis Hall back-to-back starts against Man City and Newcastle, so the prospect of the same happening to him mustn't seem too far away. The teenage sensation was full of praise for Potter and his staff when asked about the influence they've had on him thus far.
"The best, really," Hutchinson replied when asked about Potter and his staff. "They've given me the freedom on the pitch, telling me to express myself, so all I could ask for, really."
So, is there a chance Hutchinson gets some minutes when Chelsea take on Bournemouth later this month? Yes, there is.
Hakim Ziyech, who has barely been given a shot this season with his club anyway, plays his last game of the World Cup on Saturday in the third-place play-off between Morocco and Croatia. So whatever date he gets back, playing against Bournemouth might be too much of a stretch for the Moroccan winger.
Christian Pulisic, whose USA side were knocked out in the Round of 16, has returned to Chelsea training. However, the England boys – Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher – have not returned to training just yet. With Armando Broja out for the season, too, there's another attacking spot that has opened up for the hopeful Hutchinson.
A start for Hutchinson does seem farfetched despite the teenager impressing while the World Cup has been on. There is definitely a shout for a cameo off the bench, however.
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