Mauricio Pochettino has defended his decision to play Ben Chilwell in Chelsea’s attacking front three.
Chilwell played on the left-hand side of a wasteful attack during the 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest just before the international break.
Chelsea have four points from their first four matches and are under early season pressure to win away at Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking about Chilwell’s new forward role, Pochettino explained: “Ben is a full-back, I know, but he can help the team in different positions.
“I think in the animation of the team that Ben Chilwell created more chances than any other player. I think in the national team Ben played in a similar position.”
Chilwell played at left-back throughout pre-season but Christopher Nkunku’s injury has forced him further forward.
Pochettino added that the loss of Nkunku and Carney Chukwuemeka has disrupted the balance of his team, adding: “All the coaching staff feel disappointed when you lose players and, of course, it affects the team as they were two players in our plan.
“We need to accept it and adapt — That’s why sometimes we changed and tried players in different positions to try to get the best balance.”
