Big money signings and key names have been excluded from Chelsea's availibility this season as Pochettino has struggled to get the majority of his team members all fit and ready at the same time. Vigorous, intense training or medical staff under par? Chelsea have been sick of having a lack of selection either way.
There are currently six players exempt from training, including club captain Reece James, which is as worrying for the club as it is for the fans. Recent signings such as Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku have barely seen the light of day at Stamford Bridge and much of the Matthew Harding stand are eager to see their £1 billion combination of players to link up.
According to Opta Analyst Chelsea have an average squad age of 23 years old, which should signify a healthy and athletic bunch of players right?
Well the underperforming side might just be doing too much to hinder their wellness. A constant change of personel especially within the back line isn't going to do the team any favours.
Chelsea have already placed great stress on big money signings and a longterm injury will only add fuel to the fire when justifying the price tags of some of these players.
A particularly worrying player on the current sick list at Chelsea is Romeo Lavia. Bought from Southampton during the summer just gone, the 20 year old has just 32 minutes for the West London side this season in all competitions. With a promising future ahead the key issue for Lavia is keeping himslef fit. Currently out with a hamstring injury the Belgian international's date of retrun is unkown. Thankfully Chelsea have numerous replacements in the midfield such as Careny Chukwuemeka and recent loan recall, Cesare Casadei.
Another player recovering from an injury at the Bridge is Wesley Fofana. Joining in the summer of 2022 from Leicester, Fofana has been out since July with an ACL. He is not expected to feature until next season which is a real worry for fans as potential cover for the Frenchman is lacking.
Pochettino could have to tweak certain elements in his training sessions as the number of injuries throughout the season so far has been fairly significant. Young players sustaining longterm knee and hamstring injuries could be a result of overtraining or inadequate recovery. But with the facilities and equipment available at Chelsea to monitor the health of these athletes you would expect the physiotherapists to limit overtraining and maximise recovery.
After dispatching Championship side Leicester on Sunday, Chelsea face Manchester City in one of the FA cup semi finals at the end of next month. Chelsea take a second trip to Wembley this season and Pochettino is hoping to keep as many players as fit as possible to increase his potential selection.
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