Mauricio Pochettino has his out at the Chelsea fans who booed Raheem Sterling during Wednesday FA Cup win over Leeds United at Stamford Bridge.
The experienced winger has struggled to win over the Blues’ faithful since his move from Manchester City the summer before last and his relationship with Chelsea supporters reached a nadir in midweek.
Substituted with 14 minutes remaining and the tie evenly poised, Sterling was jeered by sections of the home crowd as he made way for the introduction of Cole Palmer.
Despite his inconsistent form, which has seen him lose his place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad, Sterling has still contributed eight goals and as many assists this season and his manager is at a loss to explain the treatment he was subjected to against Leeds.
Speaking ahead of this afternoon’s game against Brentford, Pochettino said: ‘Someone told me but I didn’t hear it.
‘I have only been here nine months, I don’t understand why that happens. It is difficult to know why exactly.
‘He is fully committed to Chelsea, is doing well and he is always very committed. He is one of the players who is at 99 per cent of training sessions.
‘Always training and always available. Sometimes he is good, sometimes not so good – like all players.’
Another Chelsea player who will struggle to be part of Southgate’s plans this summer given his injury problems, Reece James, is nearing a return to action and Pochettino is hopeful the club captain will have a part to play before the end of the season.
Chasing a place in the Three Lions Euro 2024 squad could, however, come at a cost and Pochettino has warned the right-back to take a cautious approach with his latest recovery from injury.
He said: ‘Our target is for him to be fit, feeling happy and well. Then we will see if there is a possibility of going to the Euros or not, or whether he is ready for the next season or he can play before we finish the season here.
‘For me the most important thing for Reece is to build his confidence and is physical condition and to recover all the good things because now is not to set the target of ‘I’m going to play the last five games’ or the Euros.
‘The target is for him to feel really strong and start to play when he can deal again with the competition. I think he will be involved before the end of the season. This is my hope but for me the priority is about him.’
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