Lee Carsley has named his first England squad as interim boss of the Three Lions, and in it, he’s included Chelsea’s man of the moment Noni Madueke, fresh off his fourteen-minute hat trick against Wolves in the Blues’ 6-2 victory. It’s a deserved reward for the winger, who’s had an up-and-down start to his time at Stamford Bridge.
Madueke, 22, who signed for Chelsea from Eredivisie giants PSV in January 2023, Madueke, 22, who signed for Chelsea from Eredivisie giants PSV in January 2023, is uncapped at the highest level for England, but Carsley knows him from his time managing the U21s, with Madueke racking up 20 appearances and scoring 7 goals at the level. The onus is now on Madueke not only to impress as part of the senior national team but also to keep doing the business for Chelsea to enable him to remain in Carsley’s plans.
Since arriving from PSV, Madueke has been involved in 52 of Chelsea’s matchday squads in the Premier League but has only been selected to start on 22 occasions, and there were suggestions the club would be happy for Madueke to be moved on, with Newcastle one of the clubs thought to be interested in acquiring his services at one point. But this season looks like it could be the one where the London-born winger cements his place in the reckonings for both Chelsea and England.
After sitting out the opening game against Manchester City, where he was an unused substitute, Maresca immediately restored Madueke to the starting XI against Wolves in his preferred right-wing position, and he had a devastating effect on the game. A game Chelsea were expected to win, according to Premier League betting online, but not in the manner they did. Crucially, this also opened the door for Cole Palmer to play as a number ten, influencing the game centrally, which, again, worked a treat, as he scored one and made all three for Madueke.
Maresca also recently made some comments about Raheem Sterling, who has since left on loan to join Arsenal. He suggested Sterling wasn’t the type of winger he likes, and while this wasn’t ideal for Sterling, who has enjoyed a stellar and trophy-laden career at the highest level, it also suggests that Madueke could be the type of winger his manager likes and that he’s willing to give him the chance to keep impressing this season. If he keeps delivering the goods, there’s no reason why he’d be out of the team.
"I'm not brutal, just honest."
Enzo Maresca has defended the treatment of Raheem Sterling who looks likely to leave Chelsea 🗣#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/R6Vt9L2WNv
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 21, 2024
If Madueke plays regularly for Chelsea and puts in consistently productive performances, it will also keep him in Carsley’s England plans. The fact Carsley knows Madueke and what he can do is a bonus, but so is the relationship between Madueke and Palmer, which was on show to great effect at Molineux.
It will be tough for Madueke to oust Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka from the England team, as he’s been the starting right winger. But if Madueke continues hitting the high notes, and Palmer is impacting games centrally, who knows what could happen. And Chelsea will reap the rewards of that, too.