Mauricio Pochettino has outlined the late changes that had to be made to the Chelsea squad after Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk were ruled out against Brentford.
Both players were in line to take on the Bees at Stamford Bridge but suffered ‘small muscles injuries’ in yesterday’s training session at Cobham.
That forced Pochettino and his staff into a late reshuffle - and is the reason why two goalkeepers were named among the Chelsea substitutes.
‘We lost yesterday Mudryk and Enzo in the last moment,' Pochettino explained after today’s disappointing 2-0 defeat.
‘Alex Matos and Deivid Washington, yesterday the plan was for them to play at 7pm with the Under-21s. We stopped them from playing and they came with us.
‘It’s not that we need more players so we take them from the Under-21s, they were playing in their competition also. So that’s why three keepers [in the matchday squad].
‘It’s not a signal. It’s bad luck, bad luck that there is injured players and we didn’t have more to bring to the bench.’
It is a quick turnaround for Pochettino and his players with Blackburn Rovers to come at Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The Chelsea head coach is hopeful Fernandez and Mudryk will be able to feature as we bid to reach the quarter-finals of the competition.
‘I think both have a chance,’ Pochettino explained, ‘but we need to assess in the next few days.’