Mauricio Pochettino admits Chelsea star is suffering due to Cole Palmer's form

13 April 2024 , 12:21

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Mauricio Pochettino has discussed trying to play Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer in the same side (Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has conceded it has been difficult to play Noni Madueke due to Cole Palmer's stellar season so far.

The Blues forked out £30million on Madueke to pry him away from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven last summer, but he has struggled to meet expectations so far at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old has managed just seven goals and one assist in 37 appearances across all competitions to date, though a fair portion of those have been cameos off the bench.

In fact, Madueke is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the league for the Blues this term. In contrast, Palmer has made the same amount of appearances but been significantly more impactful, with 19 goals and 13 assists to his name so far.

Pochettino was faced with questions over how he could look to deploy both of them in the same starting line-up during his pre-match media duties before Monday night's home clash against Everton. He admitted it's not quite as simple as some fans may think.

"First of all it’s about to have the space for him," the Blues boss explained. "Because when the club signed Cole Palmer, he (Madueke) was also here at the club and they’re in the same position.

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"It’s all about adaptation and trying to find the dynamic where him and Palmer can play together. Hopefully, he can be consistent playing in the starting XI and show his quality. But always it’s about to find the right balance in the team."

Palmer has been a shining light in an otherwise drab season for Chelsea, but his fine form alone has not been enough to take the spotlight off of Pochettino, who is under pressure. The Argentine has failed to oversee much improvement during his debut campaign at the helm.

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Noni Madueke and Cole Palmer have had contrasting seasons at Chelsea

Despite the scrutiny surrounding his job, Pochettino went on to add how he has no interest in drastically changing his style of play. Asked if he'd ever 'park the bus' in the style of legendary ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho, the current manager was empathic in his response.

"No (laughs). I don’t want to be philosophical about that," Pochettino continued. "You translate to the players, the philosophy and who you are. It is impossible for us to go and park the bus."

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Josh O'Brien