Mauricio Pochettino has revealed his plan for Christopher Nkunku (Picture: Hayters TV)
Mauricio Pochettino insists Christopher Nkunku is not yet ready to lead Chelsea’s frontline, despite his promising Premier League deubt.
Blues’ fans have been forced to remain patient to see one of their big summer signings in competitive action following the knee injury he picked up in pre-season.
Nkunku made his Chelsea bow in last week’s Carabao Cup win over Newcastle, before coming off the bench to score against Wolves with a precise header in a 2-1 defeat at Wolves on Boxing Day.
It had been anticipated that the former RB Leipzig star, who was prolific during his time in the Bundesliga, would ease the burden on Nicolas Jackson who has struggled to convince since his own summer move from Villarreal.
Pochettino, however, believes Nkunku’s adaptation to English football would be better served by deploying him in a more withdrawn role.
‘I need to be positive in a few things and this is a good thing for him, his debut in the Premier League to score. I think he’s happy but in the same time we are so disappointed because we lose the game,’ said Pochettino, speaking after the defeat at Molineux.
‘We need to move on but it is good for him now to get minutes and understand what it means to play in the Premier League. Teams are very aggressive an the football is completely different to other countries and he needs to adapt little by little.
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‘I think at the moment because he comes from injury he is more like a 10 than nine, more than left or right side. I think at the moment to cope with the demand of the Premier League and what the team needs it’s more in this position.’
Pochettino, meanwhile, admitted his Chelsea players are falling well short of the targets set for them in pre-season as they seek respite from their sporadic form at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
Results at Stamford Bridge have been the only bright spot in recent weeks with three straight wins in west London during December, meanwhile fortunes on the road have taken an alarming downturn.
The Wolves setback was their fourth away loss on the spin following reverses at Newcastle, Manchester United and Everton, and has left the team facing the likely prospect of failing to qualify for Europe for a second season.
Christopher Nkunku scored on his Premier League debut for Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
A Carabao Cup semi-final against Championship side Middlesborough in January could open the door to a possible route into the Europa Conference League, but a current league placing of 10th sees them trailing the top four by 14 points.
Pochettino admitted it is not what he anticipated approaching the midway point of his first Chelsea campaign.
‘We’re so far away (from the target),’ said the Blues boss. ‘Our target was to be on the top, even if no one believed us. But in the circumstance, we are fighting for different things.
‘We are Chelsea, because our history demands us to be at the top. At the moment, being realistic, we need to increase the way that we compete if we want to win more games.
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‘We need to compete better than (against Wolves). I think the performance from the beginning of the season has not been bad. We can say it’s very good. But in terms of competing, we are in the bottom. That’s why we are not in a better position in the table.
‘In football you need to have the knowledge, the quality, the set-up. But at some point in football in 90 minutes, you need to compete. You need to show in the way you play football. We need to improve there, and that’s about having all the players (fit), spending time with them together.
‘We need to finish well, winning the (Palace) game, then to go to Luton (on December 30) and then start the new year with different feelings.’
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