Could Callum Hudson-Odoi actually have a future at wing-back? A clip from Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Wolves suggest he may well do.
Hudson-Odoi struggled to force his way into the starting eleven under Frank Lampard, despite the Chelsea legend giving opportunities to academy graduates such as Reece James, Mason Mount and Tammy Abahram.
Hudson-Odoi will have understandably felt aggrieved, as he’s arguably the most talented of the lot.
MORE: Callum Hudson-Odoi thrived at right wing-back but admits “it was my first time trying it”
A change of management, while never ideal midseason, may actually play into Hudson-Odoi’s hands, especially when you consider that Tuchel threw him straight into the starting eleven for his first game in charge against Wolves.
Hudson-Odoi was actually fielded at wing-back in that fixture, initially on the right, before switching to the left when Ben Chilwell was withdrawn in the second-half of the game.
While few would have considered that his natural position prior to Tuchel’s experiment, it actually proved to be a success. Hudson-Odoi was Chelsea’s biggest threat going forward, firing multiple dangerous deliveries into the penalty area.
Not only that, but a bit of tracking back from Hudson-Odoi late in the contest could have rescued Chelsea a point. Hudson-Odoi made up an extraordinary amount of ground before making a goal-saving challenge.
Could this be a Thomas Tuchel masterstroke?
Pictures courtesy of the Premier League