Steve says Chelsea youngster has some catching-up to do fitness wise.
Crewe Alexandra boss Steve Davis has revealed that our on-loan winger Alex Kiwoyma is not yet fit enough to complete 90 minutes. The winger lit up the first game of the season at Stevenage when creating the opening goal for Ryan Lowe and then scoring a superb solo goal himself in our 2-1 win.
Kiwoyma, 20, was introduced as a substitute on Tuesday night at Bramall Lane and again had a hand in creating the dramatic equaliser for fellow sub Ryan Lowe. Kiwoyma had to win a header on the edge of the penalty area to keep the pressure on the Sheffield United back-line before it dropped invitingly for the experienced Lowe to convert from close range.
Kiwoyma then completed the extra 30 minutes of extra-time as Crewe progressed to face Blackburn Rovers in round two of the EFL Cup thanks to another smart finish from Lowe.
Steve says that the Chelsea youngster still has some catching up to do in regards to his match fitness after not playing too much in pre-season.
He said: “Alex is not at the same level as the others here because he hasn’t played too much over the pre-season. We tested him on Thursday, on his day off, and he fell short of the standard required at this football club.
“That is to be expected if he hasn’t had the same pre-season as our players and I cannot chuck him in at the moment and give him 90 minutes. He isn’t ready to do that at the moment and we have to be careful with him.
“We don’t want to push him too much because he has just come here and we don’t want him to break down or suffer an injury that will keep him out. We will remain cautious with him and he is making a terrific impact as a substitute.
“What he has done when he has been out on the pitch has been terrific to watch and we know that if we are careful with him then he will eventually be able to play 90 minutes and make a significant contribution to our season.
He added: “He has really explosive pace and has a lot of skill and the fans have already seen what he can offer us.”