HAKIM ZIYECH is being wasted by Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, Robin van Persie has claimed.
The former striker, 37, has named the playmaker alongside Christian Pulisic and Mateo Kovacic as stars being held back by the Blues.
Ziyech’s first season in West London is likely to end with a place on the bench against Manchester City in Saturday’s Champions League final.
Many of his 39 appearances have come as a substitute as neither Tuchel nor predecessor Frank Lampard truly trusted the 28-year-old.
For Van Persie, the ex-Ajax talent is good enough to build the attack around.
He told De Telegraaf: “It is actually a shame that the creativity of players like Ziyech, Pulisic and Kovacic – who I think is a brilliant player – is not being expressed.
“Kovacic is their engine and playmaker. Ziyech also has those qualities higher up the pitch, but he should have a much bigger role in the team.
“He is now constantly searching [for a place in the team], being played in all different positions.
“But surely it can’t be that difficult to give such a creative player a good position, right?
“You can also see it differently, first give Ziyech and Kovacic an important role and then let players like [N’Golo] Kante and other types work around them.”
Van Persie is not the only former Premier League star to criticise Ziyech’s treatment.
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Earlier this month, ex-Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf told Tuchel to play the Morocco international down the right flank, like Riyad Mahrez.
He told ESPN FC: “I’m concerned about Hakim Ziyech. If he plays, why doesn’t [Tuchel] put him on the right?
“Tuchel really has to think that Ziyech has to play on the right side. It’s like Mahrez, he’s a copycat of Mahrez.”
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