April 12, (THEWILL)- In the face of an extensive injury list, Chelsea Manager, Mauricio Pochettino, has expressed his confidence in the club’s Academy players, urging them to seize the opportunity to shine against Everton on Monday.
The Argentinian boss could be without as many as 11 first-team players for the upcoming fixture at Stamford Bridge, with key figures like Enzo Fernandez and Raheem Sterling among the latest doubts.
Pochettino has heavily relied on Academy call-ups during training sessions this season, and several young talents have already been named in matchday squads as the injury crisis has deepened. 17-year-old defender, Josh Acheampong; 20-year-old Finland youth international, Jimi Tauriainen, and 20-year-old Alfie Gilchrist, who recently signed a new two-year deal, have all been involved in the first-team setup.
Striker Deivid Washington, the 18-year-old signed from Brazilian side Santos last January, and 21-year-old Cesare Casadei, who had his loan at Leicester cut short earlier this year, have also been regular fixtures on the bench.
Pochettino has urged the club to stop talking about the injury situation and instead focus on the opportunities it presents for the academy players. “We need to stop talking,” he said. “We need to be positive with the players that we have. With the young guys that came through the Academy, we are going to try to be competitive and win the game on Monday.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
