The latest Chelsea headlines following a goalless draw against Bournemouth, including updates on Christopher Nkunku and Moises Caicedo
Pochettino responds to Chelsea fans’ boos aimed at Chilwell vs Bournemouth (Image: Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Your morning Chelsea digest on Monday 18th October as the dust settles following the Blues’ 0-0 draw away to Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
Caicedo injury worry
Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo was left out of the matchday squad selected by Mauricio Pochettino for the trip to Bournemouth. After returning back from international duty with Ecuador late into the week he was subsequently absent for his club on the south coast.
Speaking before the game Pochettino said: “Moises Caicedo arrived back from international duty with a knock in his knee. We need to assess him in the next few days but he wasn’t available for today, that’s why he is not here.”
Caicedo was spotted with strapping on his right knee during the break as he recovered from a tough match against Brazil. He was then selected to go again as Ecuador beat Uruguay 2-1. The Blues will be hoping to have their new man back soon after working without an entire XI of first-team players for the match.
Nkunku update
Chelsea have given a small update as to the fitness of key attacker Christopher Nkunku. The 25-year-old is one of a huge number of major absentees at this stage of the season and is yet to make his debut.
The Frenchman was ruled out for around four months when he went down after a collision against Borussia Dortmund at the end of pre-season, a timeline that leaves him unlikely to play until at least the end of November. However, the last club update on the player is a positive one.
“Continuing to undergo his rehabilitation programme,” Chelsea wrote ahead of the game with Bournemouth. Instead of Nkunku, Pochettino turned once more advanced positions for Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher.
Pochettino responds to Chilwell boos
Mauricio Pochettino has sympathised with Chelsea supporters after Ben Chilwell was booed by the travelling support. Following the Blues’ draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday afternoon, the defender went to applaud the away fans, but as he was soon met with a chorus of boos.
In the post-match press conference, Pochettino was asked if he understood why the fans were upset. The 51-year-old replied: “Because of expectation. No? I think the fans know if you invest the type of money people create in the media. Okay, it is true, but this is an expectation. If you don’t win it is normal that the fans are not happy.
“But what I can tell the fans is the circumstance, that we cannot change, the reality we cannot change. We have too many players (out). Of course, we are a team that will be strong if we are all together. Even Manchester City, Arsenal, all the teams, with normal circumstances with all the squad fit of course can compete for everything.”
Soucre: football.london
