One of the lesser known youngsters on Chelsea’s preseason tour was Alfie Gilchrist, who has long been considered a promising player but has struggled with injuries in recent times.
Now 19, this would be the usual time to send him out on loan in times gone by. But perhaps because of the desire to shrink the “loan army” or perhaps just because Gilchrist wants to get more playing time under his belt after a truncated 2022/2023 season, it seems he will be on the Bashir Humphrey model – play for the Development Squad in the first half of the season, then find a January loan.
That the impression we got from his quotes on the Chelsea website:
“I had a lot of injuries in 2021/22, I’d play a game and then miss two. I was growing, adapting, and getting older. So I did quite well last season on that front,” Gilchrist explained.
“I was captain for the last half of the season, when Bashir [Humphreys] went on loan, which gave me confidence. I had a good season. And then leading into this one, I’ll stay for at least another six months and then see what happens. I’ll always be available when needed
“[So] things are good – I’m loving it!”
It worked perfectly for Humphrey, who had a good loan then a good preseason and is now being linked with Championship clubs. Let’s hope Gilchrist can follow in his old teammate’s trajectory.
