Mauricio Pochettino has come to Chelsea’s defense regarding their disciplinary record, particularly in light of Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling receiving one-game suspensions. As a result, both players will be absent for a crucial London derby against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Their suspensions stem from accumulating five yellow cards each.
The duo’s combined yellow card count contributes to Chelsea’s high total of 56 bookings, the most in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season. Additionally, the team has experienced three red cards, with Reece James, Conor Gallagher, and Malo Gusto all being sent off.
Addressing the media ahead of the Crystal Palace clash, manager Pochettino defended his team’s disciplinary issues, attributing them to the pressure felt by the players:
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
“It’s representative that we play for Chelsea, we are in a big club, you feel the pressure,” explained Pochettino.
“When you are frustrated, and you don’t have maybe the experience of other teams, you make a mistake.
“Palmer is playing for us his first season as a regular. It’s normal. The players care, they want to win, they are frustrated.
“It’s not discipline. We need to have more the capacity to read the situation of the game.”
With Sterling and Palmer unavailable, the door may open for summer signing Christopher Nkunku to make his first-ever start for Chelsea in the upcoming match. The French international, who suffered a serious knee injury in preseason, recently made a cameo appearance and scored a late goal in the Christmas Eve defeat to Wolves.