Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has advised his Ukrainian teammate Mykhailo Mudryk of Chelsea not to shine in the London derby this weekend.
On October 17, Mudryk dribbled solo to seal a 3-1 victory for Ukraine against Malta. Before the Chelsea-Arsenal match on October 21, Zinchenko threatened Mudryk: "I told Mykhailo, if he does the same thing next Saturday, I will tear him to pieces."
Mudryk celebrates scoring in Ukraine's 3-1 win over Malta on October 17. Photo: AP
According to Zinchenko, the most important thing is that Ukraine won three more points in the Euro 2024 qualifiers. He is happy for Mudryk as well as the national team, because Ukraine drew with Kazakhstan after leading 2-1 until the last minutes. However, after completing the task with the team, Zinchenko must immediately focus on the Chelsea - Arsenal match and the confrontation with his own teammate. "A very important match is waiting for me in London," Zinchenko added. "So, Mykhailo, I want to remind you one more time."
Chelsea are likely to be without Carney Chukwuemeka and Trevoh Chalobah again, as they have not recovered from injuries. Chukwuemeka started impressively, but was injured in the 3-1 defeat to West Ham in the second round. Chalobah has not even played a game this season, due to a thigh problem.
Chelsea could also be without Reece James. The Chelsea captain has been back in training since picking up an injury in the opening game but is not yet fully fit. Meanwhile, Malo Gusto will return after serving a three-match ban.
Chelsea's coaching staff will assess Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Axel Disasi once they return from international duty. Chelsea have three other players out with long-term injuries, including Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavie.
Arsenal are second in the Premier League, with 20 points after eight games. Zinchenko's team are level on points with leaders Tottenham, but behind on goal difference. Chelsea, meanwhile, are 11th with 11 points. However, in their last two games, Mauricio Pochettino's team beat Fulham 2-0 and Burnley 4-1.
Mudryk scored in the win over Fulham. The Ukrainian winger scored for the first time in 25 games for Chelsea, and showed the progress Pochettino had hoped for.
Thanh Quy (according to Metro )
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