Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed the best position for Christopher Nkunku ahead of their Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

The forward banked more than 60 minutes of match action in his first two games in Chelsea blue – and opened his account for the club with a well-taken header late on at Wolves.

And Pochettino has explained why he has opted to deploy Nkunku in a central role thus far.

“At the moment he is coming back from injury his best position is more like a 10 or a 9, more than the left or right side like a winger. To cope with the demands of the Premier League and what the team needs, it’s better in these positions,” said Pochettino.

“He is now starting to understand the Premier League, that teams are very aggressive and the football is very different to other countries. It’s good for him, more minutes. He will adapt little by little, but scoring will help him adapt quicker.”

Meanwhile, Pochettino is hopeful Moises Caicedo will be well enough to face Palace but he will have to do without the services of fellow central midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Lesley Ugochukwu.

Enzo and Caicedo missed the defeat to Wolves due to injury and illness respectively. Ugochukwu, meanwhile, returned to the team at Molineux but had to be withdrawn in the second half with what Pochettino believes was a reoccurrence of his hamstring injury.