Mauricio Pochettino’s huge praise of ‘competitive’ and ‘strong’ teenage winger hints at impending 3rd senior appearance

Alex Matos has his manager’s backing and is looking at a probable inclusion on the team sheet

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is vouching for his youngsters with particular interest in Alex Matos. Despite having a considerable amount of players, the squad depth of Chelsea was put to the test in the last couple of months. Injury was the main culprit behind this.

According to the Guardian series, the Chelsea boss will be relying on his academy graduates and young recruits should a situation arise. The Argentine man has already helped six players aged below 20 mark their debuts. Alex Matos was named on the squad sheet but ended up as an unused substitute in Chelsea’s game against Sheffield.

However, the manager had good words about his player.

“His (Matos) personality, his character is always so focused. Of course he’s talented with potential. He’s really impressed me with his focus in everything. He’s so smart, watching always everything, always smiling.

With the kind of rough patch Chelsea is passing through, nothing can be unexpected. Many youngsters including Alex Matos could get a chance to prove their worth.

How far is Alex Matos from the starting XI?

Matos is a forward with not much experience in the top flight. He faces competition from many senior players with an established record. Pochettino revealed that competing with the first-team players is competitive but Matos surely stands a chance.

The Argentine boss regards this to the player’s character. In Pochettino’s words, Alex Matos is keen to learn new things and is always competitive. The boss is quite happy with having Matos in his ranks.

Mauricio Pochettino hasn’t won any silverware in England. The last time he came close to a trophy was back in the 2015 EFL final where his side lost to Chelsea. The present situation however calls for Pochettino to work on rebuilding the team than gun for trophies.

With youngsters on his side and the upcoming winter transfer window, things might just work out for the former Spurs manager. The Blue currently occupy 10th spot in the Premier League table. They jumped two spots after defeating the Blades.