Don’t expect Nkunku to save Chelsea’s season – Pochettino،
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has urged fans not to expect striker Christopher Nkunku to save their season as he prepares to make his competitive debut against Newcastle.
The 26-year-old is yet to feature for Chelsea after undergoing knee surgery following an injury suffered in pre-season shortly after completing a £52m (£72m) summer transfer ) from RB Leipzig.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Nkunku was included in Chelsea's squad for the first time last weekend but remained an unused substitute as Pochettino's side secured a 2-0 victory over Sheffield United.
However, the French striker has progressed well in training and Pochettino has confirmed he could play a part in Tuesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final clash at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are languishing in 10th place after a poor start to the Premier League season in which they scored just 28 goals, with Pochettino regularly bemoaning his side's finish.
That's my concern: putting too much pressure on him and saying 'oh, now that he's here, he's going to make us win every game and change everything.' I don't think it will happen like that because he now needs time to get his feelings back,” Pochettino said at a press conference on Monday.
“I hope that maybe he will start tomorrow, that he will play and score three goals. And then he will be consistent. But the most important thing is not to put too much pressure on him because he needs to find himself, to feel the competition and then adapt. a team that has competed the last four or five months without him.
“That's why we have to be careful because he still hasn't made his Premier League debut. You know how difficult the Premier League is for every player who came from outside England.
“The reality was that he was not an involved player for me after 2-0, I didn't want to take a risk with him. If tomorrow, because I see today much better than the day before against Sheffield United, maybe this increases the possibility of getting involved.
“How do I see [him] Today? I can tell you he can maybe play 20 minutes. How I saw it before the match against Sheffield United, in my mind there was 1%, 2% doubt. That's why I didn't want to take any risks. That’s how I explained it to him.”
Nkunku played as a number 10 at times during pre-season and Pochettino said he would not necessarily lead Chelsea's attack as the main central striker.
“That's how people think but I think we have [Nicolas] Jackson or [Armando] Broja is now in full recovery,” Pochettino added. “Nkunku can play No. 9, or No. 10, or No. 7, or No. 11.
“Also, there was a question mark, Nkunku, before the start of the season because it is about how the combination was going to go.
“During the pre-season we were using a different position and of course that's the time where you can evaluate and analyze. Now it's also a process that only happened in the last few weeks, after four, five month of absence, in a combination that was completely different in pre-season than today because the team has evolved.
“The situation has changed. Now it's about how he feels. He needs to feel 100% and get his sensations back, then how he can help the team, in what position and find a different dynamic or a different animation for him. to be fit and to be decisive. That's what everyone expects.
Pochettino added that the club was still waiting to hear whether Reece James needed surgery on a hamstring injury suffered during Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Everton on December 10.
