Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has advised Blues boss Liam Rosenior not to start Alejandro Garnacho in next week’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal.
Chelsea continued their strong run under Rosenior on Saturday, overturning a 2-0 halftime deficit to beat West Ham, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the stoppage-time winner at Stamford Bridge. The Blues endured boos at the break but celebrated a thrilling comeback thanks to key substitutions by their manager.
Burley singled out Garnacho’s first-half performance as a major concern. The winger struggled defensively, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka easily neutralising him and contributing to West Ham’s opening goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville.
Rosenior’s decision to withdraw Garnacho at halftime proved crucial as Chelsea dominated after the break, demonstrating the impact of tactical changes. Burley believes this provides enough evidence for Rosenior to bench the 20-year-old against Arsenal despite his two-goal heroics in a previous comeback.
“Alejandro Garnacho is the kind of player who comes on around the 75th to 80th minute when everyone is really tired and there’s space for him to use his speed. But as a starter for Chelsea? No, no,” Burley told ESPN FC.
The message is clear: Garnacho remains a weapon off the bench rather than a first-choice starter for high-stakes fixtures.
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