news about Chelsea Even if Moises Caicedo is back in training, Mauricio Pochettino still won’t have much depth against Aston Villa despite the slow return of some of his injured players.
Since there are still no available first team players, Mauricio Pochettino is still looking for players to flesh out his Chelsea squad. There won’t be much of an improvement when the Blues host Aston Villa one week after selecting just one player on the bench who had started a Premier League game for the club.
Despite progress being made on a number of fronts, there are still significant voids to be filled because the injury problems that have created a somber backdrop to the season thus far have not to totally abate. Come Sunday afternoon, it’s likely that the Argentine head coach will once more select players who are even younger and less experienced than is typical for him at this point in the season.
Christopher Nkunku, Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile, and Armando Broja are among the players who have yet to make an appearance for the team this season, while Wesley Fofana is unlikely to make a comeback before the season is out. That group alone has talent valued at over £250 million, yet it just makes up a portion of Cobham’s crowded treatment area.
Chelsea, unlike Villa, did not have to play a midweek match because they did not earn a spot in a European competition. The fact that it has only happened twice in the last 20 years for the Blues has caused rising resentment within the fan base. Pochettino, however, notices a silver lining.
Before the game against Unai Emery’s team, he remarked, “Yes, [no Champions League is helpful] because it’s about us rehabilitating players from injuries. “Under the circumstances, having time to work is a good thing. With the talent we have, we put forth a lot of effort over this excellent week.
“For the fans, it is difficult, of course, because Chelsea usually participates in the competition.” But it will give him more time to focus on getting crucial midfielder Moises Caicedo back. The Ecuadorian international, who missed the team’s group training sessions earlier in the week due to an injury sustained while traveling with his nation, returned to practice on Friday.
