Mauricio Pochettino has cleared the air over the absence of Noni Madueke from Chelsea’s encounter against Brighton, expressing that it was due to his sole decision.
Pochettino led Chelsea to their 3rd win across all competitions for the 2023/24 season, with a 1-0 victory over the Seagulls at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino didn’t indicate if his decision to drop Madueke was for non-footballing reasons, but he said that the attacker wasn’t “injured”.
The 51-year-old has started his reign as Chelsea manager on a shaky note, winning 3 matches, drawing 2, and losing 3.
He hasn’t been able to find a winning formula at the club, despite huge expectations placed on his shoulders.
Chelsea currently sit 14th on the Premier League table, amassing 5 points from 6 league matches.
Why did Noni Madueke not play against Brighton in the Carabao Cup?
Speaking on his decision to exclude Noni Madueke from the clash against Brighton, Mauricio Pochettino said:
“He wasn’t injured, he was not selected – it’s about my choice”.
Noni Madueke joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven on January 20, 2023, for a fee of €35 million.
He made 12 Premier League appearances for the Blues last season, scoring 1 goal and providing no assist.
Chelsea’s horrendous form since he joined the club has also overwhelmed him, as he has failed to deliver at Stamford Bridge.
Madueke has made 3 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions this season, scoring 1 goal and providing no assist.
The 21-year-old only goal so far this term, came in the third round of the Carabao Cup, as he scored the leveller in Pochettino’s side 2-1 win over AFC Wimbledon.
Chelsea play Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup fourth round
The West London club booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, after defeating Brighton via a lone goal scored by Nicolas Jackson.
They will trade tackles with Blackburn Rovers in the fourth round of the cup competition.
Chelsea crashed out of the Carabao Cup in the 3rd round last season, and they will be aiming for a possible shot at a silverware with this competition.
The Stamford Bridge club are faced with lots of injury issues, and this has seemingly had a ripple effect on their season.
Players like Christopher Nkunku, Reece James, Romeo Lavia, Wesley Fofana, amongst others remain sidelined due to injuries.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side return to action on Monday, October 2, 2023, visiting Craven Cottage to trade tackles with London neighbors Fulham.
The Cottagers handed a league defeat to Chelsea at their home turf last season, beating the Blues by 2-1 on January 12, 2023.
The reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge ended with both sides sharing the spoils after 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, captain Reece James has been charged by the FA for allegedly confronting English referee Jarred Gillett.
It has been claimed that James used abusive words towards Gillett and as such, he could face a possible ban.
The 23-year-old has until Friday, September 29, 2023, to respond to a charge of breaching FA rule E3.
