Chelsea have been told to give striker Tammy Abraham more game time in their race for the Champions League positions in the final games of the season.
The striker has not made an appearance for the club since February and has been left out of the squad entirely for the last two games in all competitions, including the FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City.
His lack of game time has led to the former Villa loanee being linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window, with Dean Smith’s side said to be one of the club’s interested in signing him when the window opens.
Villa are though likely to have competition for his signature with Leicester City and West Ham United also credited with an interest.
Despite his lack of recent minutes, Abraham remains Chelsea’s top goalscorer this season having netted 12 times in all competitions, two more than summer signing Timo Werner, who is being selected ahead of the 23-year-old.
Abraham’s situation at Chelsea was the topic of discussion for the pundit panel on Soccer Saturday, with all three agreeing that the striker should be given more of a chance by manager Thomas Tuchel.
“When you’ve got a center-forward, someone knocking at your door wanting to get into the team in Tammy Abraham, I just feel why is he not given the chance?” Lee Hendrie asked.
“You’ve got to mix it up, they’re not scoring enough goals and you feel that that would be a chance to get back into the side.”
While Clinton Morrison also questioned why the striker is not being given his chance under Tuchel.
“Tammy Abraham is the top scorer,” he said. “If I’m the top goalscorer at the club and I’ve got 12 goals, Timo Werner, I know you brought him for big money and there’s certain games top play Timo Werner, but if I’m Tammy Abraham and I’m not even making the bench and your not scoring goals I’m there knocking on the manager’s door and thinking hold on a minute."
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A third pundit on the panel in Paul Merson was also in agreement that Abraham should be given more of a chance by the Blues in the end-of-season run-in.
“I don’t know Tammy Abraham, but I’ve watched him play over his career, the one thing, he has got a good attitude, I don’t look at him at one of those kids who you think ‘he aint trying in training’, his attitude is spot on,” he added.
“He should be given a chance, that’s the problem with Chelsea, they would never be successful again until they get a goalscorer in that football team, they won’t blow anybody away. For how great they are and they dominate football matches, they don’t score enough goals.”
