Pochettino told to start £29m Chelsea start against Newcastle after another ‘outstanding’ international break performance
With the international break approaching its final few days, all attention at Stamford Bridge will be on Saturday’s return to Premier League action.
Mauricio Pochettino will be hoping that the form his side showed in the last two games against Tottenham and Manchester City will carry over to what continues to be a tough run of domestic fixtures.
They are preparing to travel to Newcastle United on Saturday, with the aim being to continue to climb up the top half of the table.
The manager will likely be hoping not to make too many changes from the side that found the net eight times in those two games, however he may be watching closely this week to see who has impressed for their countries.
If he was watching England U21s take on Serbia, he will have seen another impressive display from Noni Madueke.
The winger has hardly been handed a chance this season, with him being called out individually by Pochettino when he was spotted partying earlier in the campaign.
Pochettino should start Madueke
It has been reported though that the £29m January signing has reacted well to that moment, and the fact that he has started a game since then suggests that there is no bad blood between the two.
In that west London derby, he came a couple of inches from opening the scoring in sensational style, which could have been the catalyst for his campaign.
Unfortunately though, his effort hit the bar and cannoned away, with Chelsea going on to lose that game 2-0.
While the likes of Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer are doing nothing to suggest they will be replaced anytime soon, Madueke will be thinking there is not much more he can do to get an appearance.
Pochettino should therefore consider the Englishman when selecting his team for the Premier League affair against Newcastle.