Since the arrival of this winger at Chelsea, a string of injuries has diminished his performance, leaving him to spend much of his time in recovery rather than on the field proving his worth.
"Jamie Gittens is back," announced Liam Rosenior on Friday. But, one day after the training session and the cup match against Port Vale (7-0), the Chelsea FC coach acknowledged: "Unfortunately, it seems Jamie suffered a new muscle injury yesterday during training. We need to run tests on him. It's a shame; I think this is the third time it has happened to him."
Rosenior does not yet know how long the former Dortmund player will be sidelined after his latest injury. Gittens' condition is reviewed every day. The truth is that the bad luck year for the 21-year-old player, signed this summer from BVB for £48 million, is not over.
He has already missed 16 official matches for Chelsea, including the last 13 in a row. His last match was Jan. 31, when he felt a twinge in his thigh.
"I haven't worked much with him yet, but I know his track record, and I know he is an exceptional player. We will miss him," said Rosenior, who replaced Maresca in January. Gittens had barely returned to the group when this new setback arrived.
Until now, the fast winger had not been doing well. With the previous coach, Enzo Maresca, Gittens was not a starter. When he played, his performances were often mediocre, although at times he showed his talent.
More was expected of him, and he also expected more of himself in his first year after returning home. His record is poor: 27 matches, only 12 as a starter, an average of 40 minutes on the field, and only two complete matches, the last in November.
Worse yet: he has scored one goal and provided five assists; in the Premier League and Champions League, after 23 matches, he has still not found the net.
Gittens lacks goals and rhythm. He never found it, although in the fall he seemed to stabilize. He scored his only goal against Wolverhampton in the Cup and was named best player in the 5-1 victory against Ajax in the Champions League.
Thus, the months have continued to be difficult since his breakthrough at Dortmund. Let us remember that under Nuri Sahin, he was one of the best at BVB, totaling 9 goals and 5 assists in the first half of the previous season; then, with Niko Kovac, his progression stalled.
In the fight for fourth place in the Champions League, Gittens was marginalized. In his final months at Borussia, he was a substitute due to Kovac's change to a three-man defense and the elimination of one-on-one play. Now, at Chelsea, he is living another bitter moment.
The best thing for Gittens would be to conclude this season and, along with the entire club, reset in the summer. Between the lines, Rosenior's words suggest that the young player could have more opportunities with the English coach than he had with Maresca. That said, as long as his muscles do not fail him again.
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