Ross Barkley has begun his Chelsea career with two goals in a club friendly organized to ascertain his match fitness ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixture with Brighton and Hove Albion.
The new signing was tipped by Antonio Conte some days ago to be ready for Chelsea’s FA Cup replay with Norwich City last Wednesday, but prior to the game, the Italian manager said in his pre-match press conference that Barkley was not eligible to play, having not played the first game against the Canaries.
In a bid to get him ready for the upcoming run of games, Chelsea organized a club friendly for the former Everton star against Queens Park Rangers, and he showed promise of becoming the new Frank Lampard by scoring two goals in the game, as revealed by Oliver Kay of the Times.
Told that Ross Barkley played well in Chelsea’s behind-closed-doors practice match v QPR today. Scored twice, apparently, though lacking full match-fitness
— Oliver Kay (@OliverKay) January 18, 2018
His new side have been struggling with getting goals this season, especially in the last four games, with Michy Batshuayi the only player to score in the period. Let’s hope Barkley can replicate this form on his competitive debut.
