25-year-old Chelsea star says Pochettino was starting him in position he felt ‘strange’ in earlier this season

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Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella has now claimed that Mauricio Pochettino has been playing him in a position at times which has felt very strange.

He told Sky Sports that when he was playing on the right of defence, it took him some time to get used to things.

Cucurella certainly had to wait for his opportunity to break into the Chelsea side this season after a summer that looked like he could leave.

However, the Spaniard has now taken his chance with both hands and made himself very difficult to drop for the manager.

Despite not starting against Tottenham, he was brought on at half-time when his cool head was needed instead of Levi Colwill.

His first few games however came in an unfamiliar right-back role. He has now claimed that this took some time to get used to.

Cucurella on strange position

He said: “It is good because if I play more positions, I have more opportunities so this is better for sure,” the defender said.

“I’ve never played on the right and it is not easy. Sometimes you need different things and you need to have time to learn because it’s the same but on the opposite side so you need to change some things.

“I remember the first minutes [at right-back], I felt a little strange because what I wanted to go one way and my body went to the inside, but these are this small details. But then with more minutes, you can do this. It is good because I try to do my best and do whatever the manager decides.”

With the challenge of Manchester City coming, it would now be a surprise to see Cucurella not start the game on the left of defence.

However, the return of captain Reece James could see the end of his time on the wrong side.