“Need to be clever”- Pochettino urges Chelsea to be wary of two key Manchester United difference makers

Mauricio Pochettino cautions Chelsea players to beware of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho threat

Mauricio Pochettino has already sent a warning to Chelsea players ahead of the Manchester United clash and told them to beware of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho’s pace.

United always punish opponents during counterattacks thanks to the pace of players such as Rashford and Garnacho, while Rasmus Hojlund also boasts plenty of agility. However, the England international has been lambasted due to his poor performance this season, while the latter has been impressive on the left wing.

The Blues come into this game on the back of a 3-2 win, while United come with a 1-0 loss to Newcastle. This could be a high-octane game similar to Chelsea vs. Manchester City. But the Blues players will have to be aware of United’s pacy wingers, and given the return of Reece James and Marc Cucurella from suspension, the London club will rely on them.

And the Argentine manager has already sent warnings to the players. Speaking to the media before the clash with United, (h/t Metro), Pochettino said:

“They have very good players. They have pace with their offensive players, and so we cannot allow them to transition.”

‘‘We need to be careful in the way we finish and lose the ball. I think we need to be clever because they have pace through Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, who can transition really fast.”

Given how quick Rashford and Garnacho are, our players will need to be deft ball handlers. We can’t throw the ball into space because it can locate a pocket there and damage us. It will be a fantastic battle as James and Cucurella, who will both be available, will be charged with stopping the two United players.

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When our whole team is further up the pitch, we shouldn’t lose the ball since Rashford or Garnacho can hurt us with a counterattack. Pochettino will undoubtedly have a strategy in place to lessen their chances of counterattacking throughout the match.