Mauricio Pochettino could have a couple of tricks up his sleeve ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Newcastle this weekend
Mauricio Pochettino will be determined to build upon Chelsea’s dramatic eight-goal thriller against Manchester City with a win over Newcastle United. The Magpies will welcome the Blues to St. James’ Park on Saturday afternoon as either side hopes to return to winning ways after the international break.
Chelsea head into the clash following a chaotic draw with the Premier League champions. The west Londoners almost walked away from Stamford Bridge empty handed but Cole Palmer beat Ederson from 12-yards in stoppage time.
Pochettino’s side have lost just one of their previous five games in the English top-flight so they’ll be keen to continue their rich vein of form. Ahead of what is expected to be a difficult tie against Eddie Howe’s side, plenty of players are already being put through their paces at Cobham.
So, with that being said, football.london have taken a look at five things which stood out in the Blues’ first session back after the international break.
Nkunku returns
Christopher Nkunku, who joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer for around £52million, is still yet to make his competitive debut for the club after picking up an injury in the summer. The 26-year-old forward was dealt a blow to his knee during a pre-season clash against Borussia Dortmund in the United States and has been out of action ever since.
After months of rehabilitation, Nkunku has finally returned to first-team training. While a Premier League debut against Newcastle seems unlikely, Blues fans have been delighted to see him back on the grass.
Palmer and Pochettino embrace
In the absence of Nkunku, Palmer has quickly become a pivotal player for Chelsea and Pochettino certainly appreciates the youngster’s efforts. They were spotted embracing upon the midfielder’s return from a debut senior England call-up.
Gusto update
Malo Gusto withdrew from the France Under-21s squad last week due to knee injury. The 20-year-old defender underwent an MRI scan and it was later revealed ‘a small lesion in the internal lateral ligament’.
The Frenchman was spotted back in first-team Chelsea training, suggesting that he’s okay and available for selection ahead of the weekend.
Gallagher back in action
Conor Gallagher returned to the training pitches at Cobham after spending the last couple of days with the England squad. The midfielder has been excellent for Chelsea this season and looks set to play a key role against Newcastle on Saturday.
Five absentees
While Pochettino was able to welcome back some big names to his training base in Surrey, there are still five players yet to return from international duty. Axel Disasi, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Jackson, and Noni Madueke were absent after representing their countries on Tuesday night.
