Ahead of kick off against Bournemouth today, Mauricio Pochettino has talked a little about his team selection. He made two changes to the side that beat Brighton in midweek, and explained some of his decisions in a chat with the Chelsea website before the game,
Most teams don’t have anything to play for today, but Chelsea do. A win today puts them in a great position to get into the Europa League, a step up from the Conference League they will otherwise be featured in. That means he’s got more to think about in his team selection than just sentiment.
One notable change is Raheem Sterling playing on the left wing, his first start in quite some time after definitively losing his place to Mykhailo Mudryk.
Risk and reward for Pochettino’s Chelsea squad
“It’s a good opportunity for him. We are fighting for three points to get into Europe next season and it’s a great opportunity, not just for him, but for the whole team to show how good we are,” Pochettino explained.
Mudryk is out because of a suspected concussion he suffered in midweek, and the coach had a positive update on him too:
“Mudryk isn’t match fit and he’s not involved, but he is okay and he is recovering well.”
Also out of the team is Malo Gusto, who has played a lot this season and isn’t risked today:
“Malo was injured recently and it’s a big risk for him to play every three days,” Pochettino explained.
While there’s still things to play for, this seems the right call. There’s no reason to risk anyone at this stage of the season, and we want players like Gusto at 100% come preseason. After filling in so superbly for Reece James for most of the season, he deserves a rest now.
