Chelsea star addresses lack of chances under Enzo Maresca this season

Christopher Nkunku has more goals for Chelsea than starts. He has seven goals already this season but has only started five games for the club. Ahead of his first game for France in over a year, the forward has been speaking about his role at club level and his best position.

The 26-year-old's season came alive when he stepped off the bench to score the winner against Bournemouth in the Premier League last month. He also netted a hat trick against Barrow in the League Cup third round, as well as goals against Servette and Gent in the Europa Conference League to help Chelsea progress.

His rich vein of form has earned him a call-up to the French team for the first time in more than a year, and he admits his main focus is not to replace the legendary Antoine Griezmann, who is not with the team, but instead to try and build his own legacy.

He told reporters in France ahead of the game against Israel and reported by L’Equipe: “My moment, I don't know. I just know that I am very happy to come back after more than a year of absence. Antoine left an immense legacy in the French team. We all know what he brought. He marked a generation. I'm not trying to replace Antoine; I'm just trying to bring my stone to the building.”

When Chelsea signed Nkunku, the idea was that he would be the main man, but injuries last season meant he had to play catch-up. However, he has revived a healthy competition between himself and first choice Nicolas Jackson, and he reveals all he has to do is continue being effective and leave the decisions to the manager.

He added: “No, because coach Deschamps knows me well. I try to be as efficient as possible, whether I start or not. After that, there is a club coach who makes his choices, and we must accept them.”

Life before Chelsea

Before joining Chelsea, he played across the forward line at RB Leipzig, where he scored 47 league goals in 114 games. He revealed he doesn’t have a specific spot he loves playing; all he wants is to be close to the goal.

The Chelsea star said: “I feel the closest to the goal to find the dangerous spaces. After that, we must be able to adapt to different systems. The most important thing is to adapt to the coach's instructions. I'm hungry to play and show what I'm capable of.”