Team news?
Reece James is unavailable, probably for the season. Mason Mount is the same. Potential for the last game of the season but probably not. That's obviously disappointing for us. Kai still struggling a little bit with his knee, won't be available for tomorrow but the good news is he should be training at the end of the week.
Big blow for Mason and Reece, can you tell us more?
For all of us because they're big players. Reece had a hamstring he picked up in the Madrid game, he got through the game but we scanned it the following day. Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for quite a while, it pre-dates myself. We've been trying and the medical staff have been trying but we've got to the stage now where he'll have a minor surgery. Probably a four-week recovery and we know where that gets us to.
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Have you been asked for your view on Mauricio Pochettino?
I'm not going to get involved in any future manager talk because it's all speculation as you say. Simple as that.
Expect to be in charge for the final seven games after losing first four?
I wouldn't expect anything in football. I think it's very clear we came into this club when it was in big difficulties. One day to prepare for Wolves, two games against Real Madrid - the second performance was much better, a proper team performance like I want to see. The game in between that with Brighton we had to change a lot of the squad. There were a lot of factors, as to the four games we've had since we've been working here. The team and the club have been struggling for a while. We come in with a view to help and we'll keep working to help in the short time. The world won't change in a short time but we'll keep doing our maximum to do that.
Thiago Silva right on the money with his comments after Real Madrid?
Thiago's statement.
Seven games left, feels like the season is over, is it?
It feels like it with the tone of your question if I'm honest. If you want to think that, yeah but for me it doesn't. I'm the manager of Chelsea, I have a big link to this club and pride and so should the players. If you want to take it down your route, it's over, my route, it's absolutely not over.
Not many times in your career that you've not had much to play for at this stage, is that weird for you?
No, it's not. I don't have a mentality that there's nothing to play for. I was fortunate enough to be part of the teams that were challenging for the stuff towards the end of the season, that's not a given. The fact we've been fortunate at Chelsea to have that for 15-20 years now, there are a lot of clubs, big status in the Premier League that don't do that, we do. That's why we feel it a bit more. It's important that there's a reality that when you have long careers, I've had one as a player and now a coach, you won't compete absolutely every season, it's not a given. It comes down again to your personal pride, responsibility, and wearing the shirt. We've now got seven games, four against the top four, three away from home. The run-in is really tough, there's no doubt about that. My interest is to see how the players react to that one because they're tough games. There's always something on those games, I understand that, and the players have to understand that.
A lot of players brought in for the future, are we likely to see Carney Chukwuemeka, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk?
If they deserve it, for sure. There are two things. There's the individual work, showing you deserve it. I'm fully for that. During my first period at the club, I came in with a transfer ban and losing big players and everyone said 'Of course, the young players get in the team'. They got in the team because they deserved it with how they trained. That's a culture and a way you have to have at a top football club. I don't think changes just for the moment, I think it should always be there. Players have to train, those seven games and days of training are all opportunities every day to try and show you deserve to be in the team. As I think I've probably shown as a coach, if you do that, you'll always get an opportunity with me.
What have you been impressed most with about Brentford?
I've been impressed with everything. Stability, a really good coach, and consistency to stay with the coach through difficult moments you have in seasons which for a team like Brentford establishing themselves in the Premier League will mean moments maybe of difficult, they've come those always. A real clear idea of how they want to play, a real clear idea of link to the recruitment of how they want to play. I think it's a huge credit to everbody involved.
What has been the biggest challenge since you've come back?
The schedule is always going to be challenging, I knew that coming in. That was a challenge in trying to work the players, seeing them first hand, you can't make too many pre-judgements. Of course the games came thick and fast and we had a lot of fitness to think about in those games and rotation. That period is gone, we don't have a crazy period like that until the last week of the season now. It gives us a bit more time to work in between. Those have been the challenges. I think there are always a lot of challenges. I came in midseason at Everton and I found a lot of challenges, we probably had more time to work until the end of the season so we could get more consistency in work. This is different. Football is about challenges and you have to tackle them head-on. There are challenges and we have to keep on going.
What have you made of Enzo Fernandez?
I think he's a fantastic talent. I think for a young player to have achieved what he has achieved in this footballing year has been amazing. To be part of a World Cup-winning team, to earn himself a move to the Premier League and a club like Chelsea. I agree maybe it's a difficult moment to come to the club. He's been at the club a few months and it's been a difficult time, which has been a challenge for him. It's a challenge that will make him better because everybody will put a lot of eyes on his performance, give him a lot of responsibility. The reality, at his age coming here, he also needs support and help and those things. Those things can take time, speaking the language for instance. I think he's a fantastic talent and he is the future of Chelsea, one of, central to a lot of it.
We must also give him that time to settle because will have happened to him very quickly. I really like Enzo, I've been very impressed.
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