Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern can’t seem to agree on what the club should do with Ross Barkley. Valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, Barkley joined Chelsea for a cut-price in January and has since made only three appearances for the club, failing to complete a full 90 minutes, however Antonio Conte has now stated that Barkley is available for Chelsea’s key fixture away to Manchester City this weekend.
Conte reports that Ross Barkley has this week trained with the squad and has recovered from his recent injury. He is in the squad for Sunday.
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) March 2, 2018
Now 24-years-old, Barkley broke onto the Premier League scene back at the age of 19 when he played a key role in Everton’s 2013/14 campaign as he helped the Toffees to a 5th placed finish, ensuring Europa League football for the following season. Barkley also scored six goals in the league and won Everton’s young player of the season and goal of the season award.
Barkley has gone off the rails in the last year as a recurring hamstring injury kept him out of most of the first half of the season with Everton before he joined Chelsea in January. The former Leeds United youngster will be hoping he can force a change in fortune and nail down a starting place with the reigning champions in the next few weeks as the club face an uphill battle against Barcelona in the Champions League, whilst closer to home the Blues find themselves in the thick of a fight for top four and in an FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester City.
Here’s what Chelsea fans have been saying:
Hope to see him on the pitch.
We expect much from him.— Mac 10 (@avson999) 2 March 2018
But he shouldn't play in competition for now.
— Yinka Omikunle (@yinka_omikunle) March 2, 2018
Kid needs big games and time to prove. It's very important that Conte handholds him properly.
— Srikkanth G (@SrikkanthG) March 2, 2018
Forgot about barkley
— idkkk (@Mazza_06) March 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/StrikerRole/status/969565295760297984
Especially because it looks more and more likely that Chelsea will part ways with Conte in the summer, why wasn't Barkley just added to loan army?
— Mac-D (@Mac_D_of_SYN) March 2, 2018
If you get your lineup right, we will have chances to bring on players like Barkley
— Izzy (@SalomonBeza) March 2, 2018
