Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea are still looking to bolster attacking options
Chelsea were dealt a 3-1 defeat by West Ham on Sunday, with the Blues dominating the contest with 76% possession and 17 shots on goal. However, just four of their efforts were on target, leaving Mauricio Pochettino to acknowledge the need to bring in more firepower this month.
Injuries Robbing Chelsea of Cutting Edge
Injuries have robbed the west Londoners of cutting edge up top, with summer signing Christopher Nkunku sidelined until the end of the year and Armando Broja still recovering from injury. This leaves the goalscoring burden resting on the shoulders of Nicolas Jackson, with teenager Mason Burstow thrown on in the 83rd minute as the west Londoners sought an equaliser.
Pochettino previously said he was reluctant to sign a player who could block the development of either Broja or Burstow, but he has now acknowledged the need to bring in more firepower this month.
Pochettino on Finding the Right Profile
‘It is a difficult situation because we had two strikers in Nkunku and Broja but they are injured,’ Pochettino told talkSPORT after the defeat to West Ham. ‘It is not easy in this moment to find the right profile. We are in the process, working to see if we can add some players in this area. But it is a job that is not easy for the club. For sure, they are working really hard to add some players.’
‘If it is not possible, we need to wait until Nkunku and Broja will be ready and we have the help of Mason. I don’t think the problem is that we need another striker. The chances that we created, we need to be more clinical. It is not only the strikers that need to be clinical in front of goal.’
Further Blow for Chelsea’s Attacking Options
Chelsea were dealt a further blow to their attacking options when goalscorer Carney Chukwuemeka was forced off at the London Stadium with a knee injury and he was later seen leaving on crutches.
‘With Carney we need to assess him,’ said Pochettino afterwards. ‘We’ll see tomorrow the assessment from the doctors and hope it is not a big issue, but we need to wait.’
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