Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino explains why he dropped Raheem Sterling after fan criticism
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Mauricio Pochettino says he’s not scared to put Raheem Sterling on the field when they play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Even though Sterling hasn’t started a match since he had a rough game against Leicester and got booed by the fans, Pochettino insists that his decisions about who plays are based on performance, not crowd reactions.
Sterling, who is 29, has only come on as a substitute against Burnley and Manchester United recently and didn’t play at all against Sheffield United last Sunday. But with another game coming up against Everton on Monday, Pochettino says he’s not swayed by the fans when picking his team.
He told reporters, “No, it’s because we look at how all the players are doing, and I think we need to be fair. We gave Noni Madueke a chance to play, and we put Cole Palmer in a different position to balance things out. We assess how each player is performing and then decide who plays. It’s as simple as that. The fans’ reaction doesn’t change my mind. The team is doing fine, and my choices are based on what I see on the field.”
As for why Sterling might miss the next match, Pochettino explained that he’s been dealing with back pain and sickness all week. “He texted the doctor this morning saying he’s been vomiting. He hasn’t been training since after the Sheffield game because his back has been bothering him. We need to see how he’s doing; it seems like he’s got a virus, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
