According to multiple reports, Christian Pulisic will be given the No. 10 shirt at Chelsea for the 2020-21 season and beyond. Also, again according to multiple outlets, he’ll be 100% fit to feature in the Premier League season opener at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday night.
The first bit of news is definitely exciting, but also expected when Willian left for Arsenal, and we learned 11 days ago that new arrival Hakim Ziyech would be wearing the No. 22 that Pulisic sported last season.
Exclusive from @TheAthleticUK: Ziyech and Chilwell will miss start of the season for #CFC, Pulisic in line to feature and Havertz on course to make debut. Read in full here and non-subscribers, check out this offer too https://t.co/myoJMOVWLd: https://t.co/9CPN9VH5w4
— Simon Johnson (@SJohnsonSport) September 9, 2020
The second bit of news is a very pleasant surprise, as it was largely thought the American would miss the first week, or two, due to the hamstring injury he suffered in the FA Cup final loss to Arsenal.
However, Captain America has since recovered much faster than expected and that has Blues fans buzzing today.
Pulisic, who wears #10 for the United States Men’s National Team joins William, Joe Cole and Eden Hazard as Blues players to sport the numeral.
If you thought there were a lot of Pulisic-Hazard comparions already, well get ready for many more. The news of Pulisic’s fitness, and shirt number switch, was first reported by the Athletic’s Simon Johnson, and backed up by CBS’s Roger Gonzalez.
“His recovery went very well.” one source told CBS Sports.
“He will train with the team from today [Wednesday].”
However, today also brought good news, bad news for the Blues and their supporters. New summer transfer window signing Hakim Ziyech and Ben Chilwell will miss the season opener due to injury.
He's back https://t.co/XodIpMYXjj
— Roger Gonzalez (@RGonzalezCBS) September 9, 2020
Tomorrow will see Frank Lampard address the media ahead of the match, and perhaps we’ll learn more about the fitness situation for both players then. We should also leanr more Chelsea jersey news on Thursday, with Kai Havertz expected to be given No. 29, and Thiago Silva handed the No. 2.
Go here for the 2020/21 Chelsea season preview, and here to see how Lampard might line up his attack this season, once he has everyone fully healthy.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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