Pochettino confirm injury boost, Nkunku update before Man U clash

Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino pre-match press conference — Mauricio Pochettino pre-Manchester united press conference.

Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino remains hopeful of bolstering his defensive lineup with the inclusion of Trevoh Chalobah and Malo Gusto for the imminent duel against Manchester United.

However, a setback in Ben Chilwell’s injury recovery poses a challenge for the Blues ahead of the crucial Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino, eyeing a vital victory against Manchester United in their pursuit of European qualification, expressed confidence despite recent defensive setbacks.

With goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and defenders Chalobah and Chilwell sidelined in the previous match against Burnley, Chelsea’s defensive resilience faces scrutiny.

Pochettino’s press statement squad update.

‘Trevoh and Malo were training with us and I think they will be ready to be involved with us in the squad,’ said Pochettino.

‘We haven’t seen Chilly since Friday. That is the last time we saw him because the doctor and the medical staff removed from his knee a lot of fluid. That was the situation after he arrived from the national team and then on Saturday he got ill and wasn’t here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and today. He is at home trying to recover.

‘Robert is training, we will see if he can be on the squad list or not.’

Update on Christopher Nkunku.

‘At the moment we don’t still know when it will be possible for him to start to train with the team. At the moment he is not training with us. He hasn’t had a set-back, his recovery was longer than we expected.

‘It was after the Carabao Cup final, when he played 30 or 40 minutes with a problem that we didn’t know about and only found out after the game. This type of circumstance affects in the end everything, because it’s not only him. There are too many players that suffer this season.

‘But I hope that he can be involved again quick, as soon as possible in the team. It will be really good if before the end of the season we can count on him to be part of the team again. So we hope he will be.’

In light of the defensive woes, Pochettino finds solace in the availability of young talents Alfie Gilchrist and Cole Palmer for the impending clash.

Gilchrist’s elevation to the senior team earned him a new contract, reflecting Chelsea’s commitment to nurturing youth prospects.

Meanwhile, Palmer’s impressive performance, including scoring both goals against Burnley, highlights his potential as a key asset for the Blues.

‘It is good for a player who came through the Academy. You can see how Alfie feels the shirt and the badge. I congratulate him on getting the new contract,’ continued Mauricio.

Cole is a player that arrived now and of course he is doing well but he signed a contract for several years. If the club believes that we need to compensate a player, for sure the club is going to do it.

‘He’s playing football, that is why we brought him. He’s an offensive and creative player that is doing well, but always the idea when we sign players is that they perform in the way that he is performing.’

Pochettino on Gallagher’s recent Online attacks.

Amidst preparations for the high-stakes encounter, Pochettino addressed the unjust treatment of Conor Gallagher, condemning online abuse directed at the midfielder.

Gallagher, subjected to unwarranted criticism due to misinterpreted social media images, received staunch support from Pochettino, who emphasized the need for respect and empathy in digital interactions.

‘It’s upset me so much because no-one wants to do something like this with this intention,’ he said. ‘Conor was really good with both mascots, he is a great kid and always cares about everybody.

‘To abuse people today is so easy. Please stop. It’s made me very sad because I know Conor and he does not deserve to be abused – nobody deserves to be abused. Come on.’