Mauricio Pochettino Speaks On Chelsea’s Biggest Problem Ahead of Clash with Newcastle United

As Chelsea prepares for a crucial Premier League showdown against Newcastle United on Monday evening, Mauricio Pochettino finds himself grappling with a fresh wave of injury setbacks.

The Blues’ defensive ranks have been dealt a severe blow with the absence of Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell, both sidelined following injuries sustained in the aftermath of their recent draw against Brentford.

just as the squad welcomes back Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva to bolster defensive options, the injury plague strikes again.

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Chilwell, the esteemed Chelsea vice-captain, finds himself sidelined with a rare knee injury, reminiscent of his cruciate ligament tear back in November 2021. Meanwhile, Colwill, though his toe injury initially appeared less severe, has also been ruled out for the upcoming clash.

With Conor Gallagher’s availability hanging in the balance due to a persistent virus, Pochettino faces a race against time to assemble a formidable lineup to face Newcastle.

Blues Injury woes

Chelsea have been without so many players this season. Wesley Fofana has not played a single minute after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the summer, while Romeo Lavia has made just one appearance since signing from Southampton.

Trevoh Chalobah, although fit now, was missing for the majority of the season. Reece James’ injury problems have continued, while Christopher Nkunku, Lesley Ugochukwu, Carney Chukwuemeka and Benoit Badiashile have all missed large chunks of the campaign because of their respective fitness problems.

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It is not just Chelsea that have struggled with consistent injury problems this season. Monday’s opponents Newcastle have also been missing key players throughout the campaign and of course Liverpool’s situation has been highly documented in recent weeks.

“Sometimes, bad luck or good luck, I don’t like to talk in this way because it looks like if you work or don’t work well, you need to have good luck or bad luck,” Pochettino said on Thursday afternoon. “But I think it’s too many things that happen, you know?

“Why we have today the problems with the squad, it’s about more deep analysis. It’s not only bad luck, it’s good to clarify. Also, it’s something we need to think to improve or to restructure, to pay attention in all of the areas. It’s not to blame one area, it’s the responsibility of the whole club, of course.”

There has been some talk online that Pochettino’s approach to training sessions has been too physical, which is a major cause of muscular problems among footballers.

However, as the Argentine was quick and keen to point out during his pre-match press conference at Cobham, this is not a new problem for the Blues. It’s one that he and his coaching staff inherited.

“Already when we arrived here at Chelsea, we analyzed the situation, that was one of the weakest points in the last season,” Pochettino said. “Too many injuries, too much bad luck, you know?”

Whatever it is, Chelsea are not going to be able to solve it this season. We are too close to the end. But there needs to be some serious investigation going on behind the scenes because as Pochettino said, this cannot all be put down to “bad luck”.

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Poor decision-making inside the box has cost Chelsea more than once this season.

Decision-making is a crucial aspect of a team’s attack at any level of the game, and in numerous instances this season, Chelsea have lacked that on an individual basis in critical moments.

There are plenty of examples of the Blues opting for a shot on goal from an unlikely angle or distance when there were arguably better options available.

Chelsea’s history and culture is of winning trophies, not bottling them. Of challenging, not finishing mid-table.

Fans’ hopes of a top-four finish to get back into the UEFA Champions League have been dashed by the results on the pitch, with the team unable to perform consistently and achieve the anticipated results.

Supporters are getting increasingly restless. They want to see results, and action taken quickly to address the glaring issues most of us can see at the club.

As the head coach strategizes a restructure amidst the mounting injury crisis, Chelsea’s resilience will be put to the ultimate test under the Monday night lights at Stamford Bridge.