CAN MADUEKE PROVE IT ISN'T 'COLE PALMER FOOTBALL CLUB'?
Tuesday's match at Arsenal could be a chance for Noni Madueke to stake his claim to be an important part of Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea side.
The 22-year-old has started just six Premier League games this season, with Cole Palmer taking the majority of the headlines in his excellent first season at the club.
Palmer has scored 20 goals as he competes with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins for the Golden Boot and has been one of the few consistent parts of Chelsea’s season.
However, Palmer could miss his first match since December against Arsenal because of illness, which may present an opportunity to Madueke to show Pochettino he can be relied upon.
Madueke, has had a frustrating time since signing for the Blues for £30.7m in January 2023 and has been reprimanded by his manager twice this season - once when he was pictured out partying and most recently when he tried to take the ball from Palmer with Nicolas Jackson before a penalty in the 6-0 win over Everton.
But Pochettino believes with Palmer out, it is a chance for players like Madueke to take their chance.
"We will see. It is a good challenge if Palmer is not available. It’s a good challenge for his team-mates or those in a similar position.
"If I were them, I would be motivated to go there and show that this is Chelsea Football Club, not Cole Palmer Football Club."
"They are not jealous. They only want the same pill we provide Palmer! I am joking! They ask: 'Whatever you do for Palmer, we want the same.'
"It is a good example for them of why he is doing so well and why they are not capable of doing the same."
Although Madueke has found it tough at times, he has shown his potential with a number of flashes of his talent. However, Pochettino understands why it may be hard for a player to deal with the situation at the club.
"We need to be careful with young kids," Pochettino said before the FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City.
“We need to be strong sometimes and we need to be nice and understand the situation.
"If you arrive at a club and, six months later, the club signs another player in the same position and with the same profile - maybe two more players - and then you have to fight for your position when you believed you were going to play, it's not easy.
"Young players need to make mistakes. It's important for us as a coaching staff to deal with the situation.
"It’s trying to understand what we expect from him. Most important for these young kids is to understand what they need to do."