Chelsea news: Blues boss is given another opportunity to breathe life into his defensive unit during the international break
It wasn’t often that Mauricio Pochettino changed teams at Chelsea during the early months of his reign.
Despite the difficulties of the first weeks, the Blues are now starting to see their work pay off.
The Argentine has now won three in a row but faces his toughest task yet when he hosts London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
The Gunners are unbeaten domestically and manager Mikel Arteta is hoping to overtake Tottenham at the top of the table and deal a major blow to two local rivals at the same time.
However, one player we may not see in this clash is Ian Maatsen.
The youngster has been regularly limited to appearances for the Blues this season, apart from two appearances in the Carabao Cup matches against AFC Wimbledon and Brighton.
However, in the Premier League it lasted 89 minutes with six substitutions, leaving many wondering why he didn’t get more chances.
After all, it was Maatsen who emerged as the standout star of the club’s pre-season tour of the United States and his manager admitted how much he impressed him.
“Yes, I’m so happy with him.
He is a player who can play in different positions,” Pochettino admitted earlier this year.
“His quality, his understanding of the game, he’s an intelligent player.
I’m so happy with him so far.
“So far he is in my plans.
I am so happy with him, I said it before, I am so happy because he is a player whose attitude, commitment and understanding of the game we can use in different positions.
That is to say A positive thing for the team and for a coach.
It’s good to have this type of player.
It wasn’t just in pre-season that Maatsen was able to showcase his skills: the youngster was also part of Vincent Kompany’s Burnley side that reached the Championship last season.
With four goals and six assists, the 21-year-old was so impressive that he was named in the Championship Team of the Season.
This could also be the perfect time to bring Maatsen back into the team. His versatility would give the Blues manager many different options to use him given his expertise as both a full-back and a winger.
With the likes of Ben Chilwell out and many centre-backs not yet fully fit, Levi Colwill’s time at left-back could quickly come to an end if Maatsen steps in.
Now former Chelsea star and Maatsen’s compatriot Boudewijn “Bolo” Zenden has told Pochettino that if he wants to get the best out of Maatsen, he can copy what the Dutch international did with him, allowing him to “thrive” at Stamford Ponte .
“He mainly plays as a left-back with a lot of forward threat, but he is also used as a winger,” he told Soccernews.
“The injuries gave him the opportunity to showcase his abilities.
“He came off the bench against Fulham and hit the post.
Those are moments to stand out.
He also immediately became part of the Dutch national team.
“He can develop well as a left-back or winger in a five-defender system, so the Dutch national team’s tactics suit him well.
He could also flourish at Chelsea and build a successful career.”
