Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea faces another challenging encounter as they gear up for the Carabao Cup semi-final’s first leg against Middlesbrough tomorrow evening. Following an impressive 4-0 triumph over Preston North End in the FA Cup’s third round, featuring goals from Armando Broja, Thiago Silva, Raheem Sterling, and Enzo Fernandez in the second half, Pochettino aims to use that performance as a blueprint for improvement, particularly addressing a sluggish first-half display.
In discussions with the media, Pochettino emphasized the significance of Tuesday’s game, acknowledging Middlesbrough as a formidable opponent deserving of respect. He drew attention to the crucial lesson from the Preston match, stressing the need to start games strongly, contrasting it with the initial performance against Preston.
Pochettino commended Enzo, one of the goalscorers from the Preston game, expressing the importance of his involvement after a two-week absence. He recognized Enzo’s potential as a key player for Chelsea and praised his attitude and commitment in the Preston match.
Additionally, Pochettino mentioned the possible return of three players from injury, namely Chilwell, Badiashile, and Chukwuemeka. However, the decision on their inclusion will be made after evaluating their performance in training later at Cobham.