Roberto De Zerbi issues clear message to his £89m former player after slow start Chelsea

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi will be up against his former player Mykhailo Mudryk as Chelsea visit the Amex Stadium tomorrow night.

Mudryk was a key player for De Zerbi during his time in the Ukraine and previously predicted that Mudryk is a future Ballon d'Or winner.

Mudryk, 23, has struggled to deliver his best form at Stamford Bridge following his £89m switch but scored in Chelsea’s 3-2 win at Nottingham Forest last Saturday and is starting to deliver on his potential.

“I think it was tough for him changing country, changing the level of difficulty of the league,” said De Zerbi. “The competition inside of the Chelsea squad is higher than Shakhtar.

“But he’s a smart guy, he loves football and I think the management of the club, of Pochettino, has been right because now he’s playing very well and he’s a big, big talent.”

Meanwhile, Joel Veltman has joined Brighton’s lengthy list of absentees. The defender was forced off by injury after scoring in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle.