Crocked Blues are just the same old story for Mauricio

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has given up trying to explain the catastrophic impact injuries have had on Chelsea’s season.

The Argentine’s lengthy list of absentees is slowly diminishing but he could still be without eight key first-team stars for tomorrow’s trip to Crystal Palace.

After seven months in the Blues hot-seat, Pochettino has finally accepted that Chelsea’s critics will never truly understand the full extent of the problems they’ve had to navigate this term.

Pochettino said: “Before I was focused on giving good information to the media and putting it all into context.

“It helped provide an argument to explain what is going on but after seven months, look, I don’t say I’ve given up but if people can’t understand then focus, move on and just try to win games.

“After seven months I still need to explain and explain and if people don’t want to listen, that’s it, I’m not going to spend too much energy on it.

“If you want to understand perfect, if not, if you want to help Chelsea, perfect.

“I’m not saying you’re helping me, it’s about helping Chelsea because the problem is the club.”

Levi Colwill is facing a late fitness test while Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of the groin issue Benoit Badiashile sustained in the 3-1 midweek FA Cup triumph at Aston Villa.

Thankfully for the Blues, struggling Crystal Palace will also be without indispensable quartet Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise, Marc Guehi and Cheick Doucoure which should bolster their chances of victory.

Roy Hodgson is under increasing pressure in the opposition dugout and angry Crystal Palace fans were calling for his head last week in their 4-1 M23 derby defeat at Brighton.

But Pochettino is full of admiration and respect for his opposite number – despite admitting that he doesn’t know whether he could manage at Hodgson’s age of 76.

When asked if he has another 25 years in his locker, the Chelsea head coach responded: “76? I’m only thinking about being alive if you ask me today. I don’t know, if I have the energy.

“It depends on your personality, your character and your capacity to deal with the pressure to be here sitting here answering these questions.”

Pochettino also stated that top-level managers know what they’re signing up for then they take a big job which is why he has not been taken aback by the stress he has experienced so far at Chelsea.

He added: “When you’re a professional footballer, you want to be a coach and you learn.

“We are not here because it’s a coincidence or you arrive with no sense.

“It’s because you prepared yourself. That is how you build the knowledge to be a coach.”