"He was in my office for twenty minutes" - Mauricio Pochettino confirms Chelsea star is worried about form and is working to get back to his best
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino recently said that he had a meeting with midfielder Moises Caicedo amidst concerns regarding his form.
The Blues beat intense competition from Liverpool in the summer to sign Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion for an English record transfer fee of £115 million. He has had an underwhelming start to his stint at Stamford Bridge, making 14 appearances across competitions.
In a pre-match press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash against Brighton on Sunday (December 3), Pochettino revealed he had a meeting with Caicedo. He said (via Evening Standard):
“Before this press conference, he was in my office for twenty minutes. It is easy because we speak Spanish. It is a subconscious process and that is a problem - only in time can you adapt.
“We had no pre-season with him. We talk about footballers; it is physical and mental, and there is the talent. If you want to express your talent, you need to be clear in your mind and be good in your legs; otherwise, it is not possible to move.”
Pochettino added that the long-haul flights to South America during the international breaks in the last three months has also affected the Ecuadorian midfielder's form:
“Travelling to South America is tough, two or three weeks with us - 25 or 30 days - and then away for 10 or 12 days.
“Then, he came back with some issues with his knee. That didn’t help. It is not an excuse; it is the reality - we need time.”
Caicedo will next be up against his former club Brighton for whom he made 53 appearances, registering two goals, and three assists.
Mauricio Pochettino provides update on fitness of 2 Chelsea stars ahead of Brighton clash
The Blues have had a number of injury issues since the start of the season. Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia have yet to make their competitive debuts for the club since arriving in the summer.
However, the duo are close to completing their recovery process and can return to action soon. When asked in a press conference on Friday if the duo will be available for Chelsea's clash against Brighton, Pochettino said (via Chelseafc.com):
"We need to assess Lavia and Nkunku tomorrow and then decide. They are close but we need tomorrow to take the decision. Maybe Lavia is the more difficult."
The west London side signed Nkunku from RB Leipzig for £52 million in January but he joined them in the summer. Lavia, meanwhile, arrived from Southampton for £55 million.