Trevoh Chalobah ‘will have the same opportunities’ as other Chelsea players, assures Pochettino

There was a bit of speculation about Trevoh Chalobah’s future to help fill (unsatisfyingly, mind) the Chelsea-void of the international break, with words like “exile” and “frozen out” being thrown around, but Mauricio Pochettino has assured that Chalobah is very much part of the first-team and has the same opportunities to impress as anyone else.

In fact, Pochettino doesn’t really see what all the big fuss is about.

“His future is going to be [here]. He is in our plans. No one is going to decide for me. He is going to be involved. Now we have finished the transfer window, he is going to be involved in the decisions. Chalobah and the other players in the squad are part of my plans. Some players don’t play, but that is my choice.”

“[...] There is nothing to talk to him about this. He is a Chelsea player and he will have the same opportunities as the others.”

-Mauricio Pochettino; source: Football.London

Of course, Chalobah’s been injured since the summer, so he hasn’t had the same opportunities so far, by definition. Presumably that will then change once he’s fit, though there is also the small matter of Chelsea reportedly accepting a bid in the waning hours of the transfer window, well below our initial asking price, even. Chalobah subsequently rejected that move to Nottingham Forest, but it’s not exactly an harmonious sequence of events, for either side. (See also: Ian Maatsen.)

Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Pochettino still doesn’t really see what all the big fuss is about however.

“There are two sides [to the situation]. If an offer appears, it is because another part of the club accepted that they move or they were trying to find a solution for a player that wanted to leave. You cannot only blame the club [even if] it is always easy to blame the club.

“In the same way, maybe the player was thinking in pre-season or before the season to move in one direction. If after that didn’t happen, then I am fair with the player. I will give them a chance to perform and play here. Maybe the player decides to stay after but that’s the business.

“It is not ‘oh the club accepted the offer’ or ‘the player wanted to move’. Come on, it is the business that we know very well. The players that are here if they deserve will have the opportunities to play, but they need to be better than the others in their position.”

-Mauricio Pochettino; source: Evening Standard

Meritocracy ahoy?