I’m giving everything – Koulibaly sends message to Graham Potter

Photo: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC

Kalidou Koulibaly has had a difficult start to life at Chelsea, as he’s yet to adapt to the rigours of Premier League football.

The 31-year-old is yet to play a game for Chelsea under Graham Potter, despite being a key player under former boss Thomas Tuchel.

The new Blues boss has relegated the summer signing to the bench, even though he was a key player for Tuchel.

Koulibaly has sent a message to Potter saying that he’d give everything in training to get back into the team.

“It is true that I didn’t play yet with the new manager but I am just easy,” said Koulibaly.

“I know that my time will come, we have a lot of games. I give everything in training, I’m a big worker, when I don’t play I like to put all my energy in the work.

“So for the moment I’m working good, I’m trying to give my best in training to show him that he can use me on the pitch and I can play my first game for him.”

Koulibaly has insisted that what matters most is for Chelsea to win games.

He went on: “But I think today the most important thing is that Chelsea have to win the game tomorrow, to get the three points, because I know that we didn’t start good in the Champions League, with a defeat and a draw, so we need absolutely to win this game tomorrow.

“But I think we’ve prepared everything to win this game and I hope that we will do it tomorrow, because this is the most important thing.”

Speaking about his struggles at Chelsea, Koulibaly said: “I was expecting it like this, I knew that it would be difficult, even some of the best coaches in the world said so, because everybody knows that to go from Italy to England is difficult. But I knew that so I was ready to take on this challenge.

“It is true that the pace is a little bit different to Italian football but I’m really happy to be, I’m really happy to be part of the Premier League, because it was one of my dreams to play here in English football and today I’m here so I’m really happy.”

Koulibaly is however sure that he’d get back into the team.

He maintained: “I know that these are normal processes, I know that it will come, I know that when the moment comes I will be at 100 per cent and I will give everything for my club, this is the most important thing.

“For the rest I’m easy, I know that the coach has confidence in me. We have a lot of games so I just need to be patient and he will give me my opportunity to play.

“I’m not worried about anything, I just want Chelsea to win games, like we did at the weekend. We want to win tomorrow and we showed a lot of good things at the weekend and I’m really happy for the team, really happy for everybody, because we have a good team spirit.”