Mauricio Pochettino defends Chelsea medical team amid latest injury crisis

Mauricio Pochettino has launched a firm defence of Chelsea’s medical and performance teams as the club battles another ongoing injury crisis.

The Blues’ torrid run since the start of last season has not been helped by a seemingly never-ending list of lengthy absentees that continues to limit the options of whichever manager is in the dugout despite the £1billion lavished on new players during a new ownership era under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Pochettino has certainly not been immune to the issues that plagued predecessors Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, with his disappointing short tenure at Stamford Bridge so far featuring another huge-spending transfer window that was quickly followed by a glut of key injuries throughout the squad.

Some fans have aimed their frustration over the constant injury woe at Chelsea’s medical staff, but the manager says the problems are down to the profiles of the individual players and just sheer bad luck.

Mauricio Pochettino has defended Chelsea’s medical staff from criticism over injuries (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

"Before we arrived here we did everything to try and have a clear idea of why there were too many injuries last season also, to analyse the risk," said Pochettino, who was without 12 first-team players for the goalless draw at Bournemouth last weekend.

"It's (about) the profile of the player, the risk of the player. It's not the people working in the medical staff of performance area.

"I think we need to respect these areas (at the club) are very good professionals, qualified people. That's why they are working in football. But there's an individual risk to (certain) players, you need to assess.

"Then there's bad luck. We have injures that maybe happen in one season or maybe in two, but have happened (to Chelsea) because of different situations you cannot control.

"Christopher [Nkunku] against Dortmund, it was a tackle and he twists his knee. Three or four months out. That is from the beginning of the game, he wasn't tired, he was fresh, good, strong.

"The organisation in football are super professional and we need to respect that. Sometimes things happen like this and it's difficult to evaluate."