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Liam Rosenior has four of the most exciting young players in the Chelsea academy waiting for an opportunity to impress in the absence of Jamie Gittens
Liam Rosenior could promote one of four Chelsea academy players to cover the absence of Jamie Gittens. The 21-year-old winger, whom the Blues signed from Borussia Dortmund for an initial £48.5m in the summer, suffered a hamstring injury last weekend.
Gittens was forced to come off during the first half of the 3-2 win over West Ham at Stamford Bridge. Speaking to reporters at Cobham on Thursday afternoon, Rosenior confirmed that the England youth international sustained a muscle tear.
"Jamie, he's looking a little bit more long-term," said the Chelsea boss. "It's a real shame for him. He's got a tear in his hamstring, which is a real shame for him. I have not worked with him for too long.
"Obviously, I know about his career and what an outstanding player he is. Yeah, so that's going to be a big miss for us," added Rosenior. "I can't say [when Gittens will return to action]. It's too early to say."
With Pedro Neto unlikely to be overloaded with minutes, Alejandro Garnacho could be the only other senior option on the left when Chelsea face Wolves at Molineux on Saturday afternoon.
So, with that being said, football.london has looked at five academy players that Rosenior could promote to the first team.
Jesse Derry
Derry could be in pole position to secure a place in the Chelsea squad. The 18-year-old winger, whom the Blues signed from Crystal Palace in the summer, has been brilliant for the under-21s so far this season, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists across all youth competitions.
He's helped Chelsea mount a bid for the Premier League 2 title, while also recently firing Harry Hudson’s side into the last 16 of the UEFA Youth League. Derry, whose father, Shaun, played over 200 times for Crystal Palace before retiring in 2013, has relished the limelight at Cobham, and now he looks primed for an opportunity in Rosenior's squad.
Ryan Kavuma-McQueen
Kavuma-McQueen has also caught the eye this season, scoring six goals and providing three assists across all youth competitions. The 17-year-old winger, who Chelsea signed as an under-8, has been a livewire, proving just as much of a threat on the right as the left.
He's enjoyed a promising start to the year as well, firing the Blues into the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup with a brace against Reading. Enzo Maresca named Kavuma-McQueen on the bench for the 5-1 win over Ajax at Stamford Bridge back in October.
Mathis Eboue
Although Eboue may not be as high up on the pecking order as Derry or Kavuma-McQueen, he remains an exciting option. The 17-year-old midfielder, who is the son of former Arsenal star Emmanuel Eboue, recently signed his first professional contract with Chelsea.
He's featured 18 times across all youth competitions for the Blues this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Eboue has turned heads since joining Chelsea from Watford in January 2025, switching between the left and attacking midfield.
IbrahimRabbaj
Like Eboue, a first-team debut could come too soon for Rabbaj, despite having previously been compared to Lionel Messi by the BBC. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who signed his first professional contract with Chelsea last month, has often gone viral on social media for mesmerising ability on the ball.
The 17-year-old has predominantly featured in the Under-18 Premier League this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist in nine games. He enjoyed a handful of appearances in the UEFA Youth League, though he's yet to make the step up to the Premier League 2.
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