'I would': Frank Lebeouf tells Mauricio Pochettino to start 23-year-old for Chelsea vs Aston Villa

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino should recall Conor Gallagher to the side tomorrow night against Aston Villa.

That is according to ESPN pundit Frank Leboeuf.

Chelsea host league rivals Aston Villa on Friday evening in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Conor Gallagher, who’s been a nailed-on starter for most of the season, was a surprise inclusion on the Blues bench earlier this week.

However, the 23-year-old midfielder created two assists as a substitute during Tuesday’s 6-1 win for Chelsea over Middlesbrough to qualify for the Carabao Cup final.

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Leboeuf insists Chelsea will need their midfield at full strength against a talented Villa side, so he would definitely bring Gallagher back into starting line-up.

“I will be more keen to be stronger in the midfield zone. I would put Gallagher instead of [Noni] Madueke and maybe try to be strong defensively and play on transition,” Leboeuf told ESPN.

“Gallagher will make the midfield zone stronger so it’s why I’d go with that option. But it’s going to be a different game against Villa.”

Conor Gallagher should start against Aston Villa

We agree that Gallagher’s return for tomorrow isn’t a bad idea. Our guess is Mauricio Pochettino will go that way with his team selection, too.

There’s been a lot of speculation about the future of Chelsea’s box-to-box midfielder, but he’s still here with less than a week remaining in the January transfer window.

Journalist David Ornstein recently told Sky Sports that it’s still plausible for Tottenham to make a late move for Gallagher. Apparently, the Blues would listen to offers for him as well.

Our view that Chelsea must keep Gallagher at all costs won’t change, but there’s no hiding from the fact that his contract is entering its final last 18 months.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see him start tomorrow and play a key role against a Villa outfit that play with such high intensity.

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