Forgotten Chelsea signing spotted in training as debut wait drags on

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Emmanuel Emegha has been spotted in Chelsea training as questions regarding his fitness and role in Xabi Alonso’s squad continue to swirl.

The Dutch striker joined the Blues from sister club Strasbourg in the summer, but has yet to feature for his new club.

That is partly due to the fact he picked up a hamstring injury during pre-season, which ruled him out of Chelsea’s pre-season tour of southeast Asia and Oceania.

The injury came at the worst possible time, stemming Emegha’s momentum after he had scored in a pair of behind-closed-doors friendlies for the Blues.

Subsequently, he has been named in just one matchday squad this season, watching the August Carabao Cup defeat of Luton Town from the substitutes’ bench.

Emegha was pictured in first-team training during the international break and played in another behind-closed-doors friendly against Portsmouth, but again was left out of the squad to face Bournemouth last weekend.

That exclusion reignited speculation surrounding his fitness, but Chelsea have put the conversation to bed with new training footage released on Wednesday, which showed Emegha continuing to work out with his team-mates at Cobham.

A new video of the first team training in the gym at Cobham showed Emegha pushing a weighted sled, working alongside the likes of Marco Palestra, Moises Caicedo and Maxence Lacroix, among others.

Emegha will have another opportunity to make his Chelsea bow this weekend as the Blues visit Everton.

Unfortunately for Emegha, Chelsea’s lack of involvement in European football rather limits chances for him to feature. Joao Pedro remains in fine form and will be difficult to unseat, with another summer signing in Danny Welbeck firmly second choice.