Chelsea's homegrown stars warned not to rest on their laurels

Former Chelsea winger Pat Nevin had a word of warning for the club’s homegrown stars Tammy Abraham and Callum Hudson-Odoi over their roles.

A massive summer upheaval saw Chelsea welcome seven new players to the fold for the 2020/21 campaign, including Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, and Kai Havertz.

The new signings haven’t been able to hit the ground running for various reasons yet. Some have struggled with fitness, while others need more time to settle into their new surroundings.

These setbacks have offered Abraham and Hudson-Odoi hope for regular opportunities this term. The homegrown stars have made five appearances each in Chelsea’s six games in all competitions, including three in the Premier League.

Although they’ve both recently experienced the hardships of football, with Abraham losing his spot in the England team for breaching coronavirus protocols in October. Hudson-Odoi, on the other hand, has been demoted to the U21 squad.

“You have to enjoy these moments because it can all change very quickly, no matter how high you are flying at any time,” Nevin told the club’s website.

“Callum Hudson-Odoi looked like a stick-on for a place in that team, as did Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but if things do not go your way there are plenty of players ready, willing and very able to show they are hungry enough to grab it themselves.

“What about Tammy Abraham as well, he looked like he was nudging Harry Kane out of the way for that No.9 shirt with the three lions on the front, but suddenly Dominic Calvert-Lewin hits an incredible run of form and the pecking order moves again.”