Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has shed light on Armando Broja’s current fitness status, offering insight into the Albanian forward’s potential return to the pitch as the Blues grapple with striking difficulties.
Broja’s struggle with a knee injury dates back to December, a setback incurred during a friendly against Aston Villa amidst last year’s World Cup break. Astonishingly, his comeback unfolded against the same opponents, albeit as a substitute, in a recent 1-0 loss.
With Chelsea preparing to host Brighton at Stamford Bridge for an EFL Cup clash, Pochettino has clarified that Broja remains sidelined from starting.
“He’s not ready to start,” Pochettino told reporters. “He is helping the team and he is doing well, but he needs time to be fit again to be able to start a game. I think for 20 or 30 minutes he is able to help the team, but he’s still not ready to start.”
Pochettino’s recent lineup choices have raised eyebrows, particularly about left-back Ben Chilwell. Despite Chilwell’s strong start to the campaign, he found himself on the bench for the past two fixtures as Pochettino favoured young defender Levi Colwill. Nevertheless, the manager hinted at the possibility of Chilwell’s return to the starting XI against Brighton, even while showering praise on Colwill.
“I am so happy with Levi in the way that he is playing, and he has shown character, and I think he provides the team with a very good balance,’ Pochettino continued. “I think Chilly is going to have the possibility to play; I think tomorrow he is going to play.”
“We were using Chilly, maybe not in his best position because he was a winger. That is why after we started to play with a winger, like Misha when he recovered or maybe Sterling, in that position, our thought was to keep Levi in the position because he is doing well,” he added.
Chelsea’s next challenge will be in the League Cup against Brighton, as they aim to revive their fortunes in domestic cup competitions following a less-than-ideal start to the Premier League season, where they’ve managed just one victory in their opening six fixtures.
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