Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his concerns about putting too much pressure on forward Christopher Nkunku as he prepares to make his competitive debut after recovering from knee surgery. Despite the club’s poor start to the season and an urgent need for goals, Pochettino has urged fans not to expect an immediate turnaround in their fortunes solely because of Nkunku’s return.
After a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to knee surgery, the 26-year-old Nkunku has progressed well in training and could potentially feature in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup quarterfinal clash against Newcastle. With Chelsea currently sitting in 10th place in the Premier League, Pochettino is hopeful that Nkunku’s return will provide the much-needed boost in goalscoring, but he also acknowledges the importance of giving the striker enough time to find his rhythm.
Pochettino emphasized the need to temper expectations surrounding Nkunku’s return, stating, “This is my worry: to put too much pressure on him and say ‘oh, now he’s arrived, he’s going to make us win every single game and change everything.’ I don’t believe it is going to be like this because he now needs time to recover his feeling.” The manager understands that it will take time for Nkunku to readjust to the intensity and physicality of the Premier League, especially since he has not made his league debut yet.
Pochettino expressed caution about rushing Nkunku back into the starting lineup, highlighting the player’s need to find himself and adapt to a team that has been competing without him for several months. The manager explained, “The most important thing is not to create too much pressure on him because he needs to find himself, feel the competition, and then adapt in a team that was competing in the last four or five months without him.”
While Nkunku was unable to feature against Sheffield United last weekend, Pochettino hints that the striker’s chances of playing some part in the upcoming Carabao Cup quarterfinal match are looking more promising. The manager divulged, “How I see [him] today? I can tell you maybe he can play 20 minutes. How I saw him before the game against Sheffield United, in my mind there was 1%, 2% of doubt. That’s why I didn’t want to take a risk.”
Pochettino clarified that Nkunku will not necessarily be the main central striker for Chelsea. With the team’s recent recoveries of Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja, Nkunku will have the flexibility to play various attacking roles. The manager stated, “Nkunku can play No. 9, or No 10, or No. 7, or No. 11.” Pochettino believes that it is crucial to assess Nkunku’s capabilities and adaptability given the changed dynamics of the team since preseason.
Despite preseason positional experiments, Pochettino recognizes that the combination and dynamics of the team have evolved in Nkunku’s absence. The manager elaborated, “The situation has changed. It is about now, how he feels. He needs to feel 100% and recover his feeling, then figure out how he can help the team, in which position, and find a different dynamic or animation for him to fit and be decisive.”
Pochettino also provided an update on Reece James, who suffered a hamstring injury in Chelsea’s defeat to Everton. The extent of the injury is still being evaluated, and the club is yet to determine if surgery will be required.
While anticipation is high for Christopher Nkunku’s return to the pitch, Mauricio Pochettino urges caution and realistic expectations. Chelsea fans should give Nkunku time to regain his rhythm and adapt to the team’s dynamics after several months on the sidelines. With patience and proper integration, Nkunku has the potential to bring a much-needed goal-scoring boost to Chelsea’s struggling season.