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Chelsea's win in FA Youth Cup sets tone for what promises to be Championship winning week
This completes a special month for the Chelsea youth set up with the u19’s having won the UEFA Youth League just a couple of weeks earlier. These results and the development of some of the players into the most highly rated youth talent in Europe is encouraging for a club that has struggled to bring young players into the first team.
For a club whose last major breakthrough was John Terry, the question is will any of these players go on to claim a regular place in the starting XI?
According to Metro Sport, The signs are as good as they have ever been, Chelsea have invested heavily in their youth infrastructure during the Roman Abramovich era and this is now turning into results, on the pitch at least.
Some of the players involved in the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup this season have already made their first team debuts and are training with the first team on a regular basis.
'One such player is Dominic Solanke who was being tipped to feature for the seniors against Arsenal on Sunday but instead was leading the line against Man City last night. He was part of a dynamic front line that included IzzyBrown and Tammy Abraham who both got on the scoresheet and look like bright prospects.
'There is also 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek who Jose Mourinho has said will be a key part of the first team squad next season, as well as more experienced players such as Nathan Ake and the army of returning loan players including Championship Player of the Year Patrick Bamford, Tomas Kalas and the like who will be making their case in pre-season.
'The prospect of seeing young home-grown talent at Stamford Bridge has seemed far-fetched in the past, but with Financial Fair Play and time for investment to take hold, we could finally be seeing youth making its presence felt in west London.'
In fairness though, the lack of progress made by previous youth generations at the club has led to the limelight being a few shades below what might be expected. Chelsea's win over Leicester City in the Premier League grabbed all the headlines, and with the Premier League title all but in the bag, it is unlikely that Abramovitch, or for that matter Jose Mourhino, will lose any sleep if none of the current crop make it.
LK