Report: Stuttgart monitoring Chelsea's forgotten man Djilobodji
With his face circulating on milk cartons UK-wide and of whereabouts unknown, Chelsea's out-of-favour and abandoned defender Papy Djilobodji may be offered a lifeline by relegation teasers Stuttgart.
The rangy and robust centre-back has been an afterthought at Chelsea, prompting reports that a move to southwest Germany on a 1 1/2-year loan deal is imminent, according to L'Equipe.
Djilobodji, 27, who joined the Blues from Nantes in the summer on a four-year deal, has made only one appearance for Chelsea this year, a one-minute substitute League Cup appearance in a 4-1 defeat of Walsall.
The Senegalese international's time at Stamford Bridge has been so inconspicuous that even recently-sacked manager Jose Mourinho admitted the central defender's signing wasn't his idea.
"It was not my choice. It was the choice of someone I trust completely. Which is the same. I don’t know every player. My job doesn’t allow me to travel and spend hours watching players," Mourinho told reporters.
Stuttgart need all the help it can get, as Die Roten sit one spot clear of the Bundesliga relegation zone with a league-worst 37 goals allowed and a similarly dire goal differential of minus-15.