Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile has been quick to praise one of his teammates ahead of their game against Noah.
Chelsea take on Noah in the Conference League, with Benoit Badiashile expected to start after being put on media duty on Wednesday.
The centre-back has only been a bit-part player this season, but it looks like his employers still want to keep hold of him. It has been reported that Chelsea really appreciate a couple of Badiashile’s qualities.
Like the 23-year-old, Joao Felix has also not got too many opportunities in the current Premier League campaign.
Benoit Badiashile lauds Joao Felix
Despite having been overlooked by Enzo Maresca this term, Badiashile still thinks that Felix is a very good and intelligent footballer.
Discussing his teammate in the build-up to Chelsea’s game against Noah, Badiashile said: “Joao is a top player. He’s a smart player as well. A good person like Misha and like Misha, we’ll try to help him to do his best during the game.”
Maresca wants to play Felix more, but he has just not been able to because of all of the attacking options that he currently has.
Since returning to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in a £45m deal, Felix is yet to start a game in the Premier League.
Is Joao Felix a top player statistically?
Felix is a technical forward. The 24-year-old has a good touch and is capable of producing a great bit of skill.
Seeing that at Cobham every day, you can understand why Badiashile views his teammate as a very good footballer.
Yet his stats down the years have not exactly screamed elite forward. Last season, for example, Felix only managed to score seven goals in 30 league games while out on loan at Barcelona.
The Portuguese did not start all of those matches, but his averages in key attacking metrics were hardly amazing.
| Joao Felix’s 2023/24 La Liga stats | Total/average |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 7 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Key passes | 0.6 |
| Dribbles | 1 |
Ultimately, still only 24 years of age, Felix has the potential to become a top player. But in recent seasons, the Portugal international has not really shown that he is there yet.
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