The big loser from Chelsea’s brilliant Champions League victory over Dortmund

Robin Bairner

• 8 Mar 2023 08:27 GMT
• 3 min read

There was much to admire about the manner in which Chelsea turned around their Champions League fortunes against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

Graham Potter’s side went into the second leg of the tie chasing down a 1-0 deficit against an in-form Bundesliga outfit, and while fortune smiled on them with regards the re-taken penalty that ultimately settled the clash, the Blues secured a 2-0 win that eased the pressure on the manager and the club.

In particular, Kai Havertz and Joao Felix played well, fuelling suggestions that Chelsea will make a permanent move for the Atletico Madrid forward in the summer.

But amid the fanfare of the victory, there was one figure who was notably peripheral.

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Mudryk left out... again!

Mykhailo Mudryk was rooted to the bench throughout the encounter, not getting a minute of play. Signed for an initial outlay of €70 million from Shakhtar Donetsk in January, outbidding Arsenal for the 22-year-old in the process, Mudryk has failed to deliver a goal or an assist in his six appearances to date.

His slow start to life in the Premier League echoes that of Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, who was infamously called ‘006’ by Manchester United fans before exploding into life with the Anfield club. Since then, Gakpo has scored four times in six outings.

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By the type of turnaround that the Dutchman has achieved on Merseyside looks unlikely to be replicated by Mudryk in London.

Chelsea are still struggling across the board offensively, despite picking up successive wins, but it is notable that Mudryk has failed to play a single minute in either of those two matches.

Even when the Ukraine international arrived, there were questions as to how much Potter really wanted him in his squad. Now Chelsea have won two games without him, the manager is unlikely to shoehorn him back into what’s proven to be a successful team.

Of course, Mudryk will get his chance again, but his non-participation in Chelsea’s last couple of matches means that his fight to regain first-team status at Stamford Bridge is liable to be a prolonged one.