The striker is currently playing with a cast after undergoing surgery for a broken bone in his wrist, which he sustained shortly before the recent international break.

Despite that injury, Jackson has featured in Chelsea's last two games. He started against Brentford on Saturday and, midway through the first half, came over to the touchline to speak with Pochettino.

During that conversation, a shout from a support in the stands elicited a reaction from the Senegalese star. And after our defeat, on Match of the Day, Alan Shearer criticised Jackson’s off-the-ball movement.

It has prompted Pochettino to defend his striker. ‘We need to be sensitive when a player is suffering for different reasons,’ said the Chelsea head coach.

‘He had surgery a few weeks ago. He is playing in a situation that is not comfortable to train or play. He broke his wrist, but he made the effort and showed his commitment to the club. He’s at Chelsea, he’s 21 years old, he wants to score and perform and help the team to win.

‘The fans can criticise us. Of course. They are frustrated. At the same time, we need to analyse the situation. Jackson is young. He arrived this season. There have been circumstances that didn’t help him perform at his best. What can we do? Throw him into the bin? Say he’s useless?

‘We need to give him confidence, help, trust. That can lead you to change your form. We are a young team. We have made many changes. At this moment, 0-0 against Brentford, playing well in the first half, the players need support and belief in them.'

‘He doesn’t need a fan to tell him he’s not performing,’ added Pochettino. ‘Why was he talking to me? He knew it.

‘He feels the responsibility, he feels he needs to give back the confidence and trust in the club that signed him. He wants to score and help the team, and for different reasons he’s not performing. Sometimes when you are frustrated because of different circumstances it’s about helping them.’

On Shearer’s comments made on the BBC’s flagship highlights show, which Pochettino watched, our head coach explained why it is ‘dangerous’ to focus solely on individual matches when analysing a player.

‘I agree with the analysis, but it’s not to say he is incapable of doing those things,’ stressed Pochettino.

‘If you watched the game against Dortmund in pre-season, or Liverpool, or Luton, he was doing what the analysis suggested.

‘This is one game. He can’t lie, it wasn’t his best. But if you watch Dortmund or Liverpool you will see one player, and the Brentford game was another player.

'He was doing his best and we need to recover the player that he was. I believe in him. The only thing we need to do is give him time.’