Mauricio Pochettino stated on Friday that Chelsea’s long list of ailments will be easier to manage due to the lack of European games, but the Argentine manager also stated that he was convinced Chelsea would participate in continental competitions again the following season.
Chelsea, the 2021 Champions League champion, had a difficult season last year and ended 12th in the table, which prevented them from participating in European play this season, in which the group rounds will begin next week.
Early in the new season, the London club has struggled with a number of injuries, keeping key players like full back and captain Reece James, new attacker Christopher Nkunku, and central defenders Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile out of the lineup.
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“With the circumstances, I think it’s better for us (to not be playing European football) because we have 11 or 12 injured players,” Pochettino told reporters ahead of Sunday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“I think it’s important now that we can recover and be more competitive.
“But for Chelsea it’s important to be involved in European competition, but that is not in my hands now.
“That is the reality. For sure, we are going to be involved in European competition next season, no doubt with the quality we have.”
Chelsea has only earned four points from its first four games, placing them once more in 12th place, but manager Mauricio Pochettino felt his team had played well despite losses at West Ham United and at home to Nottingham Forest.
“If you see the data, I think we are very good.
“The thing we are missing is to score goals, which is one of the most important things in football,” he added.
“We need to compete better. It’s the process of building the team.
“For sure it’s only a matter of time. I want to win.
“We need to win. It’s too early to give up or say we are not going to achieve what we were talking about at the beginning.”
Romeo Lavia, a midfielder who Chelsea acquired from Championship (second-tier) team Southampton for a reported sum of 55 million pounds ($68.18 million) last month, is “continuing to be evaluated for an injury,” according to a statement made earlier on Friday.
“I think we are really disappointed because he was training really well.
“He twisted his ankle and now we are waiting for Monday to get the assessment from the doctor,” Pochettino said.
“We don’t know (the timeframe for Lavia’s return) because we need to assess him.”
Armando Broja, a striker who suffered a knee injury in December, won’t be able to play against Bournemouth as he continues his recovery from surgery, according to Pochettino.