Mauricio Pochettino Frustrated Over Christopher Nkunku Problem, Sends Message to Chelsea Board

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The enigmatic forward has been absent from training since before Chelsea’s triumphant FA Cup clash against Preston on January 6, leaving Pochettino in the dark about Nkunku’s return timeline. The uncertainty surrounding his availability adds a layer of complexity to Chelsea’s attacking options.

With summer signing Nicolas Jackson away representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, likely to be absent for the rest of the month, and Armando Broja still finding his form after a lengthy nine-month hiatus due to an ACL injury, Pochettino faces a pressing dilemma in the absence of Nkunku.

Chelsea’s goalscoring form has improved significantly from last season, when their return of 38 was the club’s lowest in the league for almost a century.

They currently have 34 at the halfway stage of the Premier League campaign, but despite this, they have repeatedly found it difficult to break teams down, and have failed to convert high possession figures into clear chances.

They enjoyed 72% of the ball and had 18 shots on goal during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg away to Middlesbrough, yet still slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the Riverside.

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‘We need to be very clinical to take some decisions to think and see how we fix the problem,’ he said.

‘Nkunku out? I always say it’s an exciting project but situations like this make it more difficult to change the situation and grow at a different pace.’

The club have been linked with possible moves for Brentford’s Ivan Toney and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson in January to help bolster their attack.

‘(Nkunku) was the only player that was performing, of course in a different league, in Germany,’ said Pochettino. ‘But consistently scoring goals. That was the situation before the start of the season.

‘When (the injury) happened, we needed to see about Broja after one year (out injured), and Jackson moving from Villarreal, where he wasn’t top scorer.

‘The age of the players, (they are) young guys that need to adapt. That was why we felt a little bit more the hit of (losing) Nkunku.

‘He was consistently scoring goals. When you miss a player like this, you hope that players that maybe came here and need time to grow and score goals, it (became) a necessity, compulsory for Jackson to score in every single touch.

‘Or Broja, after one year out, needs now to play three games in a row. It’s difficult for him. It makes our job more difficult. It’s exciting this project, but situations like this make it more difficult. You have to grow at a different pace.’

With the January transfer window still open for another fortnight, the Blues have the option of adding to their squad but Pochettino has acknowledged a swift decision needs to be made.