Denis Zakaria has admitted that he found it difficult while waiting for an opportunity at Chelsea under manager Graham Potter, with the Swiss midfielder scoring on his Blues debut against Dinamo Zagreb.
The 25-year-old, who joined Stamford Bridge on loan from Juventus during the summer transfer window, made his debut for the west London heavyweights on November 2 against Dinamo in the Champions League. He scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory, and the frustration of sitting on the bench began to fade for a man eager to prove his worth.
Zakaria told BT Sport of his experiences at Chelsea:
“Very, very difficult I have to say. I like to play and always want to play. When you have to see your team-mates from the bench it is not easy but I was always behind the team and was waiting for my chance. Today it came and I took my chance.”
Quizzed on whether he now expects to see more minutes, the Switzerland international added:
“I hope so but I think that is a question you will have to ask the coach!”
The Blues had already qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament but the midfielder took advantage of a strong line-up at Stamford Bridge to demonstrate what Potter had been missing by not using him this season.
His whipped finish on the edge of Zagreb’s box in the 30th minute ultimately helped his side earn three points and a morale-boosting win after a dismal weekend defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Potter’s men will take on Arsenal in the Premier League on November 6. Chelsea have now lost three of their last four Premier League games against Arsenal (W1), which is more than they had in their previous 17 meetings with the Gunners (W9 D6 L2).
Zakaria’s loan agreement includes the option of a permanent transfer in 2023, but he will need regular game time to convince Chelsea that he is worth keeping around.
