Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel believes Hakim Ziyech is being limited by some factors as he continues to struggle for regular playing time this season.
The 28-year-old has only made five appearances so far in all competitions, which include a start in the Premier League.
Ziyech has found it difficult to regain his spot in the Blues' starting XI since he suffered a shoulder injury in their Uefa Super Cup triumph over Villarreal back in August.
After watching as an unused substitute in Chelsea’s Champions League victory Malmo on Wednesday, Tuchel said Ziyech is still an "important player" for the team but he needs time and patience to find his form.
“He fought his way into the team, he was in the team in the beginning of the season because of performance, because it was so obvious after the pre-season that he has to be on the pitch,” the German coach said in a press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League match against Norwich City.
“To start from there he was on the pitch, he scored and then had the injury in the Super Cup game. And from there I felt that it cost him a lot because maybe even until today I don’t feel him 100 percent free with his shoulders and surely when we played him and made him play over 90 minutes, we started him several times after that, started him in Premier League and Champions League.
“I felt that even if it is maybe no pain, even if it is maybe unconscious, subconscious there is something that limits him in his movements and in his freedom to move to turn and to accelerate and decelerate and I think he needs time and patience to fight his way back into the team.
“That is the way it is. Looking for a spot while he was out, some other guys performed even guys who came on from the pitch performed straight. He is one of our players and we will never lose trust and we will never lose patience with him. He will stay an important player.”
His lack of regular playing time at Chelsea seems to have affected his chances of playing for Morocco as he was not invited by coach Vahid Halilhodzic for their 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Guinea and Guinea-Bissau this month.
Ziyech moved to the Stamford Bridge from Ajax on a five-year deal in July 2020 and he played a key role in helping the Blues lift the Uefa Champions League trophy and the Uefa Super Cup.