Mauricio Pochettino admits Chelsea are looking to add transfers in January despite billion pound spend ahead of Fulham trip
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00:00 Hello, how are you?
00:03 Can we start with your injury news?
00:08 You've been bit by bit, bent your world first of all.
00:12 Yes.
00:13 How is he?
00:14 Yes, I think it's bad news.
00:17 What the doctor told me is no good thing.
00:24 It looks bad injury but we need to assess after in the next few days and we'll see the period that is going to be absent of the squad and the team.
00:36 But I think it doesn't look good, the injury.
00:39 The mechanism was bad, it was in the last minute of the game.
00:44 Yes, I think it's... yes, we are really sad about the news about Ben.
00:51 Time scale?
00:53 Time is difficult to know now.
00:57 It's only two days, no, less than two days that happened and we need to assess in the next few days and the doctor will tell us and for sure the club will communicate.
01:08 Ok.
01:09 Ruiz James up day?
01:12 Anyone else back for Monday?
01:15 Anyone else not available for Monday?
01:18 No, I hope that maybe Carni and of course Noni also.
01:26 After his injury, when he comes back from the national team, he's getting ready, he's working hard.
01:33 Yes, I hope that maybe these two players will be available for selection Monday.
01:39 And Ruiz James?
01:41 Maybe, maybe, maybe.
01:45 No, for Monday? I don't believe, I don't believe for Monday.
01:50 Maybe a week after, we'll see. Also we need to assess him, but I cannot confirm at the moment.
01:57 You finally have the winning feeling, how do you capitalize on it and use it as a springboard over...
02:06 No, I think it was really important the victory, not only because that victory brings us to the next round, if not because to trust and to build our confidence.
02:20 I think another very solid performance that we translate in a victory that the player need, the team need and our fans also need.
02:32 No, I am happy, I think the effort was fantastic from the team and now this situation can make us stronger and be confident for Monday.
02:47 Obviously good news, Jackson scored, kind of typical right now that now he can't play again.
02:54 What do your options look like? How do you go on Monday?
02:59 Yes, we have a few options to play with the striker or without the striker.
03:05 Yes, we are now, also we need to assess all the squad after the game.
03:10 Things appear after 48 hours and we need to see how they are and how they recover from the effort of Wednesday.
03:21 But different options can make.
03:25 It is not a new problem, we know that goalscoring is tough, lots of managers have been troubled by it for many years.
03:35 How much of a priority is addressing that in January? How confident are you that the club have identified who you want to come in?
03:45 Yes, the good thing is the relationship and the communication is very good with the owners and with the sporting director.
03:50 Like I said before, when the transfer window was closed I said I need to be involved, or more involved now.
04:02 I think in all the single decisions, I started to work and try to identify what we need for January.
04:10 I think football is very dynamic and is very present always.
04:15 Things can change until January. Now we need to work to try to recover Nkunku, Kristoff and Armando Brugia.
04:27 And to try to provide the team more goals and be more solid.
04:34 But of course, also parallel to work to identify profiles to improve the team in the way that we want to improve the team.
04:43 And in the way that we assess the team during the competition.
04:47 But of course, we already started to work.
04:50 Karl Palmer made his first start against Brighton. Based on his performance on Wednesday, do you think he is in line to make his first start for Chelsea in the Premier League?
05:03 Yes, maybe yes. I am so happy with his performance.
05:07 I think after only a few weeks with us, he was able to perform very well and fit very well on the team.
05:16 I think he is a young, talented player. But I think for sure, he is in my mind, one possibility to start Monday.
05:27 One question on Nkunku. I know you can't play on Monday night. I know you said last week that you had spoken to him about getting these yellow cards.
05:34 Have you felt the need to speak to him again after the one that you got against Aston Villa?
05:38 Yes, we were talking. Because we talk a lot between the players and us and the coaching staff.
05:46 But these are things that you cannot stop. Because when you play, after some time, you are very anxious to score and to do well.
05:57 And sometimes you forget things. That is why you need experience and be more mature.
06:03 And for sure, he is growing very fast.
06:07 And I think now, yes, we are going to miss him from Monday. But I hope that after the goal that he scored against Brighton, his confidence will be higher than before.
06:18 Thank you for your time.
06:19 You're welcome.
06:20 Hi, Mauricio. How are you?
06:22 Chelsea spent nearly a billion pounds and yet we are back in the situation now we were a year ago where Rhys James and Ben Shaw were both injured.
06:32 It seemed like last year that led to Chelsea's season going even further downhill.
06:39 Why is it that those two positions have been massively strengthened or covered with all the money that has been spent?
06:48 Difficult question. I need to look at the relation.
06:53 Are you looking specifically at position?
06:55 No, I'm just saying that last year, Rhys James and Ben were out injured and that caused a big problem.
07:01 And the same thing, it's like history always repeating itself again now.
07:05 All the money has been spent on various different players and various different positions.
07:10 I don't understand.
07:13 They were in the same situation a year ago with those two injured players.
07:17 After all that has been spent, it seems that that has been fixed.
07:21 Fixed? To fix what?
07:27 They're always missed when they're not playing. Shaw and Rhys are always missed when they're not playing.
07:32 And last year they were both out injured.
07:34 In all the clubs, important players, always you miss when they don't play.
07:39 If that is the question, we miss them, of course.
07:42 Always we miss top players.
07:45 And Rhys is a top player and of course, Chilli also.
07:49 When they are at their best, of course, they are the best footballers in the world.
07:55 But I think all the teams, when they miss an important player, it affects the performance.
08:03 You are talking about why not after spending money, we don't sign another Ben Chilwell and another Rhys James.
08:09 Because there's only one Rhys James and one Ben Chilwell.
08:13 I think the club tries, like with Malagusto and Marc Gurela and also Levi, because we can play there.
08:23 I think that is football.
08:27 And the difference is if you talk to me about the risk of the player to become injured again.
08:37 That is a different thing.
08:39 But I think in all football clubs, when you have top players, it is difficult to replace top players.
08:46 But in most positions you will want two players in every position that are of the same quality.
08:52 Hutto, that I want too.
08:54 You want more than two?
08:57 Yes, but I think the balance on the team.
09:00 In the past, you have one top player in one position.
09:11 It is difficult to bring another top player in the same position to be on the bench.
09:17 It is always about balance to find the good profile.
09:22 But of course, the problem is not if we sign Malagusto and we have Marc that can play also and can do really well.
09:31 Because he is a good player but with a different profile.
09:34 I think the most important thing is to try to have these two players that are top players fit and healthy.
09:42 That is the challenge for us.
09:45 I'm glad you've led me on to my next question.
09:47 Vincent Kompany suggested this week that to keep players fit for longer, you limit the amount of times they are allowed to play every season.
09:56 Limit the amount of appearances.
09:58 Would that help?
09:59 Because wherever I go now, managers have got long injury lists and we are only in September.
10:05 It depends.
10:06 I think it is difficult to generalise, to talk about everything.
10:11 Because you need to assess every single situation.
10:14 Maybe a player cannot cope with 70 games during the season, but another player can cope with that.
10:22 Another player can only cope with a limited percentage of playing because the risk is massive to get injured again.
10:30 It is difficult to talk about in general.
10:32 We cannot limit because to put some limit on the games, on the players.
10:38 Even the players want to play every single game.
10:42 It is easy when the name is not a top player.
10:49 But when you start to play and say, "I want to play", how do you say no?
10:52 I don't know what to do because I want to keep fresh.
10:57 It depends on the game.
11:00 And then you want to win because if you win or win, you know what is going on.
11:06 But I think it is a difficult debate.
11:12 It is really complicated.
11:14 It is not a public debate.
11:16 It is a private debate between the Premier League, the Federation, the FA and of course all the coaches and the clubs.
11:24 Maybe it is to create a debate, but private, not public.
11:27 Because in public, everyone can have the reason to defend their ideas.
11:33 You just said there that maybe the lack of out-and-out striking options.
11:39 You might play without a striker in front of what we would call the force number nine.
11:43 Are you a fan of doing that?
11:45 Is that something you like doing or are you a man who prefers to have a...
11:49 No, I think the most important is to adapt.
11:52 The squad and the players will be available.
11:55 And to try to find a way to perform.
11:58 That is the most important.
12:00 There are different characteristics we can use.
12:03 Like I said before, we can play with one striker or maybe we can play without a striker.
12:08 I think a front-second line player, midfielder, offensive midfielder.
12:13 But I think it is still a few days.
12:16 But I need to think and assess all the squad to take the best decision.
12:20 Last question in this section.
12:23 Two parts. First of all, Ben Chilwell, is it the same leg that he injured last season?
12:31 Yes, I think so.
12:33 How worrying is that, that it is the same leg, the same injury?
12:38 I think he was fresh and only played 20 minutes against Aston Villa.
12:42 I think it is the mechanism of the action.
12:48 Because he was pulled from his back in the moment that he tried the ball.
12:55 I think it was foul.
12:57 And then he was a little bit unlucky in the way that he suffered the injury.
13:01 Because he was affected for different reasons.
13:04 Yes, very disappointed, very sad.
13:07 Because I think he was doing a very good game.
13:10 We were talking a lot during the last few weeks.
13:13 I think in the way and the areas to improve.
13:16 But I think very disappointed because the news are not good.
13:20 And now we are going to miss another player for several times.
13:26 And secondly, Rhys James has got into trouble with the FA for his reaction post-Aston Villa.
13:35 What is your view of that incident?
13:38 Have you had a word with Rhys and how he behaves?
13:41 I don't know what is going to happen.
13:44 I hope nothing wrong.
13:46 But I think he can be involved again with the team as soon as possible.
13:51 But nothing to say about that.
13:54 Nothing in terms of his behaviour towards the referee?
13:57 I didn't see the situation.
14:01 I cannot say nothing.
14:03 Great, okay cameras off please, that's the end of the broadcast section.