Liam Rosenior hints at Chelsea youth breakthrough ahead of Wrexham FC Cup clash

Chelsea head to north Wales aiming to secure a place in the quarter-finals, and Rosenior confirmed that young talents Jesse Derry and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen have been included with the first team. The coach believes the pair could follow the path of club captain Reece James, one of several graduates from the club's famous academy.

Derry, 18, already made his senior debut in the previous round when Chelsea defeated Hull City. Kavuma-McQueen, 17, has yet to feature in a competitive match for the first team but was previously named on the bench when AFC Ajax visited Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.

Speaking ahead of the cup tie, Rosenior praised the young players pushing for opportunities.

"Jesse's really impressed me, Ryan's impressed, but it's not just those two," he said. "There have been a few that I've got to see in training when they've been brought up that I'm really happy with."

The coach also highlighted other promising names from the academy setup.

"Reggie Watson has trained with us a few times and he's really impressed me. It's scary the age that he is," Rosenior explained. "Young Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli has been up a few times as well and he's an outstanding talent."

Chelsea's academy at Cobham has long been one of the most productive in English football, producing players who have gone on to become key figures for both club and country. Rosenior made it clear he wants to continue that tradition.

"There are some outstanding young players in the group," he said. "We just need to make sure we put them in at the right time and they get the experiences they need to continue their development."

The Chelsea boss added that he closely follows the club's youth teams to understand the talent coming through.

"I went to the FA Youth Cup game against Manchester City, I've watched a few of the Under-21 matches and plenty of clips as well," he said. "There's nothing better than giving a young player who has come through the academy their debut."

He pointed to James and Trevoh Chalobah as examples of what the pathway can produce.

"Look at Reece now, or Trevoh Chalobah, and what this club means to them," Rosenior said. "That should always be in your thinking as a coach - to develop players and keep that pathway open."

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