Chelsea winger looks like a transfer flop before he’s even made 15 starts

Jamie Gittens is out once again, and his prospects at Chelsea feel like they’re dwindling fast after yet another disappointing injury.

Xabi Alonso looks likely to rotate his team for tonight’s EFL Cup game against Liverpool.

The first choice attackers need a rest, considering they’ve got Manchester United coming up on Saturday. They also are without first choice pair Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer through injury and suspension respectively.

That should mean a perfect chance for Jamie Gittens to come into the team – but, once again he’s injured. It was confirmed by Alonso that the former Dortmund man won’t be back until after the November international break.

His first season at Chelsea was an injury nightmare – his second is going even worse, so far. He’s played just 56 minutes, and keeps picking up small knocks. He has 13 starts in all competitions since arriving at Chelsea.

Gittens already drifting towards Chelsea exit

We’ve seen players like Romeo Lavia suffer with injuries for even longer than Gittens and eventually make their way into the team, so we can’t rule him out entirely. But playing just 490 Premier League minutes last season followed by an even worse rate this year is very damaging.

Others – like Geovany Quenda – are moving ahead of him in the pecking order. Even when he’s fit, he’s got a fearsome battle to get into Alonso’s thinking.

In other news…

Our predicted team for tonight’s game shows a line-up which Gittens would have been hoping to be in were he fit.

Welbeck isn’t the only option that Alonso has for tonight’s game, although none of the solutions are ideal

We’re excited for tonight’s game, and curious whether we will see Emmanuel Emegha for the first time.