Ross Barkley has been one of the more surprising success stories of Maurizio Sarri’s first summer at Chelsea, pushing himself from the fringes of the first team squad to the make the starting XI for the Community Shield clash and the first Premier League game of the season – a 3-0 win over Huddersfield.
The England international impressed on both occasions but through no real fault of his own, his place in Sarri’s starting XI is now under threat following the loan arrival of Mateo Kovacic from Real Madrid.
The 46-cap Croatian international has only officially been at Stamford Bridge for just over a week following his involvement in the World Cup final, but it seems inevitable he’ll join N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in Chelsea’s midfield sooner rather than later.
Accordingly, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week whether Saturday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal should be when Kovacic is brought into the team, or whether Barkley deserves another start following his run of decent form.
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And our poll has revealed that the majority of Blues supporters who took part would give Kovacic the nod to start against the Gunners, with 71% voting in his favour.
Are there any other changes you’d make to Sarri’s starting XI this weekend? Let us know by commenting below…
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