'He will get his chances': Graham Potter gives Conor Gallagher fresh hope of making it to Qatar as he promises the Chelsea youngster 'opportunities' before Gareth Southgate names his final England squad

Graham Potter insists Conor Gallagher will get his chances to impress as he looks to force his way back into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup.

Gallagher was left out of Southgate’s final pre-tournament group last month and instead joined up with Lee Carsley’s under-21s.

The midfielder revealed he had spoken to Southgate who informed him that ‘regular football, performing well consistently’ will boost his prospects of earning a recall for Qatar.

Conor Gallagher scored the winner for Chelsea in the 90th minute after coming off the bench

Conor Gallagher scored the winner for Chelsea in the 90th minute after coming off the bench

He broke into the senior setup last season after starring while on-loan at Crystal Palace where he was a near ever-present.


Similar opportunities have been harder to come by at Chelsea with three of Gallagher’s seven appearances being starts and one of them ending prematurely after he was sent off against Leicester after 28 minutes.

However Gallagher was Chelsea’s hero on his return to Palace, scoring a stunning 90th minute winner in a potential springboard moment for the 22 year-old.

Gallagher scored a stunning effort at the death to claim all three points for Graham Potter's side

Gallagher scored a stunning effort at the death to claim all three points for Graham Potter's side 

Potter said: ‘We’ve got a really intense period - 12 games in six-and-a-half-weeks, something like that. We need everybody; it’s impossible to play with 11 players. So Conor will get his time, will get his chances, his opportunities to perform.

‘We have to try and help the team perform in a good way so all individuals can play well in it, and then who knows - that [Gallagher getting back into the England squad] is something out of my control.

‘I hope it’s the start of a very successful Chelsea career. He is a young player, you can see the influence he had at Crystal Palace last year but it’s another step, a different step.

Potter said there would be opportunities for Gallagher to impress Gareth Southgate under him

Potter said there would be opportunities for Gallagher to impress Gareth Southgate under him 

‘Like anything you have to adapt, maybe the team hasn’t functioned as well as is optimal for any player.

‘All the players maybe haven’t performed as they would have liked to, but that’s the work and what we would like to do.

‘I really like him. He’s a fantastic kid, first of all, gives everything every day. Desperate to do well, desperate to play for Chelsea, desperate to be successful here, so that’s a great starting point. You’re not going to get anyone better than him in terms of wanting to do well.

‘Then it’s about finding the right balance for him in the team, the team to perform maximally helps all the players. But in terms of Conor as a person he has been A1.’