Mauricio Pochettino gives worryingly cryptic reply on Noni Madueke after snub
Pochettino impressed by Cucurella and Sanchez in Chelsea win
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino gave a concerningly cryptic response to a question about Noni Madueke after the Blues winger missed the 1-0 win over Brighton on Wednesday. Fans assumed that Madueke had joined the lengthy list of injuries at Stamford Bridge after he failed to appear among the substitutes.
However, Pochettino insists that is not the case and that the England U21 attacker is available for selection. The Argentine has a bloated squad and several stars are left out every week.
Madueke was one of the players excluded from the 20-man matchday squad for the Carabao Cup win over Brighton. But Pochettino has worryingly suggested that it is ‘about choice’, inferring that the 21-year-old maybe did not deserve to be selected.
Giving a cryptic three-word response to a question about Madueke’s absence, the Chelsea boss said: “It’s about choice.”
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Madueke had shone in the previous round of the tournament, winning and scoring a penalty in the 2-1 victory over Brighton. His performance excited many supporters who felt that he deserved an extended run in the team.
The former PSV star was one of the very few players who impressed towards the end of last season during the dismal run under Frank Lampard. He was singled out for praise from the Chelsea icon after scoring in a 3-1 defeat by Arsenal in May.
“My job is to tell the players what needs to be done and the players have to do it,” Lampard said at the time.
“And if they don’t do it, they won’t start the game. People like Noni [Madueke] today, I thought he was great. Because he has been training like that all week, that is why he plays.”
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But things have not gone entirely to plan for Madueke under new boss Pochettino. The January signing has played just 43 minutes in the Premier League this season across two substitute appearances, with a further 81 minutes in the Carabao Cup against Wimbledon.
Chelsea were able to beat Brighton without Madueke, securing their first win and goal in nearly a month. Nicolas Jackson’s strike was enough to seal a surprise 1-0 victory against the in-form Seagulls.
Pochettino’s side will now hope to take some momentum into the Premier League. Chelsea face consecutive away trips to Fulham and Burnley before welcoming Arsenal to Stamford Bridge.
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