What Happened To Former Chelsea Wonderkid Musonda?

After leaving Celtic, Musonda described nan scene: "Barcelona wanted maine that summertime wherever I would walk six months successful nan B squad and past hopefully get promoted to nan first squad but Vitesse besides wanted me. Chelsea said, 'Look, spell to Vitesse'.

"During nan September world break, I was playing a friends successful Antwerp. The shot was successful nan aerial and nan feline conscionable put his studs into my knee. I was told I would beryllium retired for 2 months – it ended up being astir 4 years."

Musonda injured nan PCL successful his knee, an almost unheard‑of rumor successful football, erstwhile room is usually avoided to forestall altering a player's explosiveness aliases moving style. Two months retired became a afloat play and erstwhile he tested nan knee again during his indebtedness backmost astatine Vitesse, he collapsed down erstwhile more.

Seeking answers, Musonda consulted his backstage doctorand was advised to person surgery. Chelsea initially refused, delaying him different month, but Musonda yet won nan argument.

During his eight‑to‑10‑month recovery, nan world coronavirus pandemic struck, slowing his advancement further by restricting entree to nine accommodation and staff.

At that stage, Musonda paid for parts of his ain rehabilitation, hiring a backstage physiotherapist successful Dubai astatine his ain disbursal – a move he says led to him being fined but that he yet credits pinch helping him return to training 3 and a half years aft nan first injury.

Managers Maurizio Sarri and Lampard had travel and gone, and Thomas Tuchel was now successful complaint astatine Chelsea.

"I met Tuchel successful nan car parkland and he told maine he knew who I was from Dortmund and to beryllium fresh for nan pursuing pre-season," Musonda said. "I came backmost and was told to motion a statement astatine half my net and to spell retired connected indebtedness by Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini, nan indebtedness coach.

"I was besides told I would beryllium training pinch nan under-23s but I pulled 1 of Tuchel's coaches speech and he said it was a correction – that I was travelling pinch them to Ireland nan adjacent time for nan tour. I trained location and I sewage Covid. A nightmare.

"When I returned, Tuchel told maine location was immoderate animosity successful nan beforehand office. I said I would person played for free that play to beryllium myself astatine Chelsea and that if I wasn't bully enough, I would locomotion distant erstwhile my statement expired.

"I knew from September that I wouldn't play and it was tough, particularly aft being told I had only a 20% chance of playing shot again erstwhile I had nan room to past emotion afloat fit.

"I conscionable needed an opportunity astatine Chelsea, but it was a reliable waste aft truthful agelong out. Mentally, that was 1 of nan toughest moments. It killed me. Chelsea was wherever I wanted to make it."