The game against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge is a big problem for both Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino.
The match will be Pochettino’s 400th in English football, after spells at Southampton and Tottenham, while Chelsea’s quest for European football means they have to achieve a positive result.
They have a game in hand and are just five points behind seventh place and six points behind sixth place.
Pochettino has been trying to build consistency at Chelsea throughout the season in his “project” at Stamford Bridge, but injuries have hampered him throughout the season.
To be fair, he has had to deal with a long list of absentees for most of his time at the club. They currently have 14 first-team players listed as injured for the game, with big summer signings Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku barely playing for the Blues.
There are likely to be more young players in the squad tonight after Pochettino confirmed that defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest players to suffer blows.
“We have a big challenge against a great team like Tottenham,” Pochettino said in a pre-match press conference. “It will be an enjoyable game to play and a great opportunity for some kids to be on the bench with the chance to play.
“When the opportunity arises, it’s a matter of being aware, moving forward and being here and wanting to play for Chelsea.”
It took a while for some Chelsea fans to warm to Pochettino because of his ties to Tottenham and Pochettino’s comments about not being able to “hide his emotions” against his former club will not have sat well with some.
He mentioned that it takes time to build a relationship and when he goes out to walk his dog and sees supporters, they show him appreciation.
However, Pochettino knows that the only way to keep fans completely happy is to win games. He hopes it all starts with a win over Spurs.
