Abraham's Chelsea future under threat despite 2023 contract extension

Playstar Slot:The striker started the season in exceptional form but has a lot to prove in order to demonstrate he can lead the line in the long term

In the aftermath of Chelsea's disastrous and damaging 3-0 defeat at Sheffield United, Tammy Abraham came in for heavy criticism on social media, just a matter of days after overcoming his 10-game goal drought against Crystal Palace.

He wasn't good enough on the day, even if he wasn't the only one in Chelsea blue to disappoint. Unlike his peers, however, he faces major and immediate challenges to his role from the outside.

The £ 47.5 million (€ 59m) signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig significantly threatens his status as the main striker; Werner scored 95 goals in 159 games for his former employers and has moved to Stamford Bridge for a starring role up top.

As well as the threat to his future posed by Werner's arrival, Abraham still has Olivier Giroud to contend with. The French World Cup winner has been in good form, scoring four goals in six before facing Sheffield United.

Giroud has earned four starts compared to Abraham's three since the Premier League returned in late June. Even before the reintroduction of the France international, his younger counterpart struggled.

Frank Lampard has already spoken of Abraham's first-class attitude upon losing his starting spot, while the England forward maintains a good relationship with 33-year-old Giroud, who has mentored him at times this season.

But in the first half against the Blades, the young Blues striker just wasn't in the game. Indeed, he did not have a single shot at goal and only touched the ball 13 times, putting him below every other outfield player on the pitch.

Abraham has enjoyed better days against Chris Wilder's side, scoring three times in his last two matches, which included his first-ever senior goal at Stamford Bridge. On Saturday, though, he simply could not be found by his team-mates.

But he fronted up alongside Cesar Azpilicueta for the television interviews after Chelsea's abysmal display at Bramall Lane.

"He let us know how he was feeling after the game," Abraham admitted of Lampard as he went on to express the importance of bouncing back in their next game against Norwich City at Stamford Bridge.

During the second half against Sheffield United, Lampard opted for a more direct approach. Abraham ended up having five shots, four of them coming after his manager brought on Giroud and went with a front two.

But it wasn't enough and Dean Henderson wasn't really threatened as he kept a clean sheet. The blank at Bramall Lane adds further doubt over whether the 22-year-old can regain his early-season form that saw him shoot to the top of the club's scoring charts.Visit to Uplay365