Chelsea spent almost half a billion euros on reinforcements during the last transfer window. Despite that exorbitant amount, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has to do some serious juggling for the upcoming league match against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The 51-year-old Argentinean has, by his own account, only 'fourteen or fifteen players at his disposal' for the match against The Cherries. The latest addition to The Blues' injury list is Roméo Lavia. The nineteen-year-old Belgian seemed poised to make his debut for the London club after his move from Southampton, but the international twisted his ankle in training this week.
The loss of the defensive midfielder is the latest setback for Pochettino. Earlier, the manager had to watch as players such as Christopher Nkunku, Wesley Fofana, Armando Broja, Reece James, and Benoit Badiashile were sidelined, some more long-term than others.
'It's important for us that players recover quickly because that way we can be competitive,' said the former head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain at the press conference on Friday. 'I only have fourteen or fifteen players at my disposal. There are eleven or twelve injured.'
Chelsea has only managed to secure four points in the first four matches of this Premier League season. They won only against the newly promoted Luton Town (3-0). A week later, Nottingham Forest proved to be too strong for the troubled Londoners at Stamford Bridge.
