The truth behind the puzzling freeze out of one of Chelsea’s top loan stars | OneFootball

This has not been a vintage season for outgoing Chelsea loans.

The Blues have some years where they’ve got players tearing it up all over Europe and in the Championship. But the tightening rules on loans have meant less of that, and fewer rising stars.

One of the big hits from the first half of the season was Alfie Gilchrist, who earned a loan move to Sheffield United after some impressive cameos in Chelsea’s first team under Mauricio Pochettino last season. The defender was a regular right away for Chris Wilder, and started 26 of their first 29 league games.

However new loans came in in January, and Gilchrist has been the odd one out as a team in the Championship can only name 5 loan players in the match day squad.

Writing for the Daily Mail, Kieran Gill says that in fact Gilchrist had been playing with a groin strain, so this rest may do him good. Plus, as Gill points out, it only takes one minor injury or suspension for Wilder to have space to bring him back in.

Gilchrist’s good progress scuppered by red tape

Alfie Gilchrist celebrates with fans after a win. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

It’s still a very unfortunate situation without doubt – starting all those games as a key player was great for his development.

We can’t claim to be too knowledgeable about the Blades’ situation, but it does seem odd that a player who was a first team regular would be shunted out by new loan arrivals. It probably won’t have done wonders for relations between Chelsea and United – we’d imagine we would have moved him on to another destination in January if we’d known this was going to happen. There was even talk of Premier League interest in December.

Still, let’s hope he’s back in the squad soon.