Denis Zakaria still hoping to make things work at Chelsea

Denis Zakaria arrived as last-minute midfield reinforcement over the summer, joining Chelsea on loan from Juventus on deadline day. It seemed a somewhat panicky move at the time, but given the injuries we’ve suffered in midfield (especially to N’Golo Kanté), it should’ve proven a very good decision indeed.

And yet, Zakaria has made just two appearances so far, both in early November just prior to the World Cup break. He’s had to bide his time patiently, but his Man of the Match performance on his Chelsea debut just raised more questions about his lack of involvement.

But you can’t change the past, so what’s next for the 26-year-old defensive midfielder? Rumors have circulated about a potential January exit, but it sounds like he’s not quite ready to give up on us just yet.

“I’m still positive about it all, and then I’ll see what will happen. I still need to improve some things and show the coach what I can. When I get to play, I have to show that I am good

“It has not been enough so far, but I work hard to get my chance in this big club.”

-Denis Zakaria; source: Tribal Football

Zakaria returned to Cobham this week following Switzerland’s Round of 16 exit in Qatar. He made a couple appearances for them as well, so perhaps his minutes are indeed trending up.