Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has criticised Jordan Henderson following Chelsea's 3-0 defeat against Brentford on Friday night.
Speaking on his podcast, The Good The Bad and The Football, the 51-year-old expressed shock that Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso chose to start the 36-year-old midfielder in the Premier League.
Scholes insisted that the former Liverpool captain is now "a last-20-minutes man" who cannot cope with starting games in the top flight of English football.
Henderson joined Chelsea as a free agent in the summer after being regarded as a guiding light off the field for England at the World Cup. Most observers assumed the midfielder would feature sporadically while offering dressing room leadership to a young squad.
However, Alonso trusted Henderson to start at the Gtech Community Stadium against his former team, where the 36-year-old delivered a poor performance that raised doubts over his ability to play at the highest level.
The Champions League winner struggled with the pace of the game throughout and appeared out of his depth in Alonso's 3-4-3 tactical setup, bickering with team-mates during the match.
Henderson was also at fault for Brentford's second goal after giving the ball away cheaply in midfield following a poor attempted through ball, allowing the home side to counter-attack and secure the victory.
Delivering his verdict, Scholes said: "We've been there at 35, 36, 37, you're a million miles away from where you should be. You can use your experience to get through games, but these days it's more of a young man's game and you will get found out starting a game."
The 11-time Premier League winner added: "I never expected him to play a Premier League game. Playing at that age in the Premier League you get found out."
Scholes further emphasised the physical demands required at the top level, stating: "I don't care how old you are, how much you look after yourself, playing in the Premier League at that age you've got to be a machine, you've got to be athletic. You don't get away with it, you get found out."
Scholes recalls own struggles at Manchester United
Scholes, who co-hosts his podcast alongside former team-mate Nicky Butt and presenter Paddy McGuinness, admitted he could empathise with Henderson's predicament after experiencing a similar drop in sharpness toward the end of his own career.
The legendary midfielder recalled a specific match against local rivals Manchester City when Sir Alex Ferguson selected him to start near the end of his playing career.
Scholes said: "I remember I did it against City, I might have been 36, the manager actually picked me and I thought I shouldn't be playing this game, I shouldn't be starting this game. I never touched the ball. I just knew it was too much for me."
While Henderson has consistently earned praise throughout his career for his work rate and professionalism, questions remain over whether he has enough left in the tank to contribute effectively for Chelsea on the pitch.
Chelsea strategy questioned after summer shift
The inclusion of aging veterans represents a significant shift in transfer policy for Chelsea under their ownership consortium, BlueCo.
Since taking control of the West London club, BlueCo had almost exclusively focused on signing younger players on long-term contracts. However, Chelsea altered their strategy this summer by targeting experienced figures to bolster Alonso's squad.
In addition to Henderson, Chelsea signed 35-year-old forward Danny Welbeck to provide Premier League know-how to an otherwise youthful dressing room.
However, Scholes believes Alonso may have overcompensated by selecting multiple veterans in the starting line-up simultaneously.
Scholes commented on the selection strategy: "When you're playing another, Danny (Welbeck) at centre forward, there's two in your team, you're thinking, bloody hell."
Danny Welbeck faces scrutiny after Brentford defeat
Welbeck, who played alongside Scholes at Manchester United and won a Premier League title at Old Trafford, did not escape criticism despite his past relationship with the podcast host.
The veteran number nine struggled to make an impact during the defeat at Brentford, recording just four touches inside the opposition penalty area while failing to register a single shot on goal or complete a dribble.
To make matters worse for Chelsea, Welbeck was partially responsible for Brentford's opening goal after his lackadaisical marking allowed Jaidon Anthony to stand completely unmarked in the six-yard box to give the Bees the lead.
Although Welbeck has scored three Carabao Cup goals for Chelsea this season, his disappointing display at Brentford highlighted broader concerns regarding Chelsea's reliance on aging players.
