According to a recent report by Football.London, Chelsea centre-back Antonio Rudiger should be fit in time to feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League after the international break. The same source has mentioned that the German defender is well on his way to make a complete recovery from a knee injury which he sustained last season and is set to comeback versus Nuno Espirito Santo’s men later this month.
Rudiger has already earned 180 minutes of playing time for the Pensioners’ development squad over the past few weeks and should be ready for some first-team minutes when the Premier League resumes next week.
Rudiger’s Impressive Spell At Stamford Bridge
The 26-year-old was a rock at the back for the West London outfit last season so he will be expected to steady Lampard’s backline and add some much-needed quality in defence. Since making a switch from AS Roma in the summer of 2017, the Berlin-born talent has gone on to make 89 appearances for Chelsea, scoring four goals while grabbing two assists across all competitions.
On the defensive end, Rudiger averaged 1.0 tackles, 1.0 interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game in the English top-flight last season (stats via whoscored). He has also represented Germany in 30 international matches and has scored one goal for his homeland thus far.
What Are The German Defensive Ace’s Strengths?
Rudiger is a moderated paced centre-back who can make some vital interceptions for his side. He is a powerhouse inside the Chelsea penalty box and tends to win a lot of 50-50 aerial duels. The German international is aggressive in the way he approaches the game and can time his tackles to perfection.
Return Of Rudiger: Huge Boost For Lampard?
Hence, Rudiger’s return from injury will be a massive boost for the Pensioners and their chances of sorting out their defensive problems after the international break. The former Roma prospect is a leader at the back and will bring some calmness and experience to the Chelsea backline.
The London giants have already fallen a bit off the pace in the Premier League top 4 race. Chelsea will need to earn some favourable results in the coming months if they are to be in the running to claim a UEFA Champions League berth at the end of this campaign. Lampard will now hope that Rudiger’s injury problems are a thing of the past so that he can be a prominent presence in his first-team at Stamford Bridge for this 2019-20 season.
