Cool Krystian can be a Hec of a player – Zola
Wenger’s first team squad. “He looks like he has been playing a while,” Zola said. “He reminds me when [Hector] Bellerin came with me to Watford, he stayed with me one week and then I said, ‘Go’.
“You can see straight away when a player has got something special.”
Bellerin played eight games over three months of the 2013/2014 campaign at Zola’s Watford – including the final seven minutes of the Hornets’ 1-0 victory over Blues in February 2014.
Bielik has started the last two games as the right-sided centre back in a three-man defence as Blues have tightened up at the back and conceded just one goal in their draws with Cardiff and Newcastle.
He has proved popular with both his team-mates and his manager.
“He is calm with the ball. He came here on the back of a problem maybe defending with Zola said.
“But even against Newcastle and last week he really kept his composure in difficult circumstances, I think he is going to be a really top player.”
Bielik has played once this season for Arsenal having joined them from Legia Warsaw in the summer of 2015.
He has played for his native Poland at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level.
Zola believes the draw with Newcastle has given them a psychological lift as they head into the international break.
Blues’ 0-0 draw with Rafael Benitez’s side was just their third clean sheet under Zola and, coming off the back of the draw at Cardiff City, underlined their defensive improvement. physicality,”
“I think it is a real confidence boost going into the international break,” the manager said.
“It’s good. You can imagine it would have been more difficult going into the break on a defeat, it would have been much worse.
“It’s important because the days between now and the game we play against Ipswich are very important and on the back of this result it is going to be easier for me to prepare for it.”
Blues could take a giant stride towards ending lingering doubts about their Championship status with a win against Mick McCarthy’s men.
Blues’ injury troubles seem to be clearing up too. Clayton Donaldson returned to the squad for the first time in three months on Saturday leaving Michael Morrison as the only player currently out.