Mario Melchiot claims Mauricio Pochettino is actually hurting Chelsea by subbing on 24-year-old

Add as preferred source on Google

Chelsea have conceded two really late goals in their last two outings.

Virgil van Dijk scored towards the end of extra time in Chelsea‘s 1-0 loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final. Before that, Rodri grabbed an 83rd-minute equaliser for Manchester City in their 1-1 draw with the Blues at the Etihad.

The common theme in both matches? Mauricio Pochettino decided to change his defence mid-game, bringing on Trevoh Chalobah on those two occasions, and Mario Melchiot has shared his dissatisfaction with the Argentine’s decision to do so on ESPN.

They are Chalobah’s only two appearances of the season so far, with the 24-year-old central defender having only returned from injury not too long ago.

He will be hoping to make his first start of the campaign when Chelsea take on Leeds United in the FA Cup later today.

Mario Melchiot not a fan of Mauricio Pochettino’s Trevoh Chalobah substitution

Melchiot thinks Pochettino’s decision to bring on Chalobah and change Chelsea’s backline during the middle of games is costing the team.

Speaking on ESPN, the former Blues defender said: “Chalobah comes on in two games, Poch, tries to change the game twice. At City he tried to change the game and Chalobah came on, boom, they scored, 1-1. Liverpool, he did the same thing.

“Bring him on, change the back side and one of the key things in football is when you change the defence, it can sometimes be shaky. And two times I saw them conceding. We’ll not say it’s because of Chalobah’s mistake, but it does influence the team in the sense of the set-up, where do you have to be and how is it going to be?”

When will Trevoh Chalobah make his first start of the season?

As mentioned earlier, tonight could be a good opportunity for Chalobah to make his first start of the campaign.

It is a cup game, giving Pochettino the chance to rotate and perhaps give Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi a rest.

Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile have been out injured, so that will help Chalobah’s cause. However, with Pochettino really needing a win after what happened at Wembley last Sunday, we are expecting him to stick with Colwill and Disasi at the back. Chalobah may have to wait a little bit longer, then, before he is named in the first XI.