Mykhailo Mudryk is running out of time to make his mark at Chelsea after his disappointing start to life at the club, according to Glen Johnson.
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Chelsea spent nearly £90m to sign the Ukrainian international from Shakhtar Donetsk in last season’s January transfer window, beating Arsenal to his signature after the north London club had also shown interest in the pacey winger.
Mudryk, however, has failed to live up to expectations and justify his price tag so far at Stamford Bridge and is yet to score in 18 Premier League appearances for the club.
The 22-year-old hasn’t started a league game so far this season under new Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino, with former Chelsea right-back Johnson suggesting the Ukrainian needs to turn around his fortunes sooner rather than later.
‘I do believe that the clock’s ticking for him because everybody talks about him every single week,’ Johnson told GGRECON.
‘I feel sorry for him because it’s not easy when you go to a big club, especially with the expectations that Mykhailo’s had on his shoulders.
‘Ultimately, I do believe that he has the attributes to turn it around but he’s got to do it quickly.’
Mudryk started for Ukraine in their 1-1 draw against England but was benched on Tuesday as his nation lost 2-1 to Italy to drop to third in Group C of the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He also finds himself on the bench for his club, with Ben Chilwell currently occupying the most advanced role for Chelsea on the left-hand side.
Having signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract, Mudryk has time to rediscover his form and Johnson believes needs to become ‘more aggressive’ if he is to earn a spot in Chelsea’s starting XI.
‘I don’t mean that I want him to be physically aggressive, I want him to keep pushing defenders back every time when you consider how quick and direct he is,’ Johnson added.
‘He’s capable of blitzing any defender and sometimes I believe that he plays against his attributes. If you’re that quick, you should always be looking to take someone on one-on-one or do something productive so that the fans can get behind you.
‘When that happens, he may be able to find some confidence and he can hopefully grab a few more goals and assists.’
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