Christopher Nkunku revealed he’s not sure how close he is to his best physical condition but acknowledged he wasn’t 100% there.
Nkunku, who has been in brilliant form for Chelsea on their pre-season tour has three goals in the first three games and will be hoping to continue that run against Manchester City on Saturday.
The France international looks fit and sharp and everyone associated with the club will be hoping his injury issues of last season are a thing of the past.
Nkunku working hard to get back to full fitness
There was much excitement around Nkunku’s arrival at Stamford Bridge last summer following his £52m move from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.
The Frenchman started pre-season well but picked up a knee injury in the final game of the tour which kept him out for four months.
He eventually made his debut for the Blues in December but further injury problems at the start of the year limited him to just 14 appearances in all competitions.
A fully fit and firing Nkunku is a game changer for Chelsea and he’s one of the few players in the squad who possess genuine world class quality.
The 26-year-old will almost feel like a new signing given how sparingly he featured last season and in the build up to the City game he was asked about his physical condition.
“I don’t know to be honest [how strong I am and how close I am to my physical best],” he told reporters.
“I just want to have some more minutes before the league. I know I am not 100% there. We can work for [that]. I hope soon I will be fit.”
If Nkunku is performing how he is and he’s not 100% fit by his own admission then that’s a sign that bodes well for Chelsea and shows there’s more to come from him.
Nkunku’s versatility means he will likely feature in a number of positions across the front line, but so far he’s mainly played as an attacking number eight and he can also play as a striker or on the wing, so it will be interesting to see where Maresca feels he’s most effective in his system.
