Mauricio Pochettino defends Chelsea training methods after Romeo Lavia injury setback

Mauricio Pochettino insists training methods are not behind Chelsea’s ongoing injury battle after another setback saw midfielder Romeo Lavia ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Lavia will end his debut season with just 32 minutes of playing time to his name. Having arrived unfit, he suffered an ankle injury which kept him out until December, before his short cameo off the bench against Crystal Palace led to a hamstring problem which has seen Lavia sidelined ever since.

While the midfielder’s fitness battle may have been the biggest at Chelsea this season, the Blues have faced countless injury issues all year. The latest update from the club included no fewer than nine players currently sidelined, with Trevoh Chalobah, Carney Chukwuemeka and Robert Sanchez the latest to join the party in the treatment room.

Pochettino and his supposedly intense training methods have been blamed by many for Chelsea’s fitness issues, but the boss insisted Lavia’s struggles should prove he cannot be held accountable.

Discussing Lavia, Pochettino said: “It’s difficult to explain the situation because I am not a doctor and be precise with the information. The most important thing is to make clear that in nine months, only a few weeks he was with us, training with us.

“He arrived and he could not train. When the club signed him, he was injured…I think it was his hip, or I don’t know, that was the problem. Then when he started to train with us, he suffered a knock in his feet.

“After he was training with us for a few weeks, he was available against Wolverhampton but he didn’t go in, and then against Crystal Palace he played 30 minutes and got injured in his quad and never again had the possibility to train with us.

“I don’t know, you showed me, ‘the methods of Pochettino are so hard’, no? But he didn’t train with me. He is sad. It is a sad situation. We hope he can become stronger and for sure, we are going to help him to become stronger and be available for the pre-season and the next season to show his quality.”

Romeo LaviaRomeo Lavia

Lavia will miss the rest of the season / Visionhaus/GettyImages

Pochettino added that he has only faced a similar injury issue in one of the 15 seasons of his management career.

The next test for Pochettino comes on Saturday against Premier League strugglers Burnley, but the boss insists Chelsea cannot afford to underestimate Vincent Kompany’s outfit.

“It’s always going to be difficult,” he said of Saturday’s opponents. “I think it’s a team that plays very free, they feel freedom to play. They run a lot, they are a very physical team with good players, good young players.

“It is going to be tough. For us, it’s always tough because we need to be in a different place. We need to win, we need to perform well. Always in the Premier League you are never going to find an easy game. Burnley are a very exciting team to watch. It is going to be difficult.”

READ THE LATEST CHELSEA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Eddie Howe unsure of extended Sandro Tonali ban after fresh betting charge

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has admitted the club were expecting Sandro Tonali to be charged by the Football Association over further betting breaches.

Tonali, who is serving a ten-month ban for gambling offences during his time in Italy, was charged on Thursday for making a further 50 bets between August and October 2023 – the last of which came on the day he was first interviewed by police while away on international duty with Italy.

The midfielder is now facing the risk of an extended ban if the FA choose to inflict further punishment, and Howe admits he does not know what the future holds for Tonali.

“It was no surprise to us,” Howe said. “Sandro from day one cooperated and was very honest with us, the club, and the authorities, what he has done and what happened. It was no surprise and we have been supporting him through this process.

“We don’t know [if the ban will be extended] is the honest answer. I certainly hope for Sandro that there is no further consequences. He has suffered during this period, he’s seeked help, he’s been very honest, admitted he has an issue and the best thing for Sandro would be to resume his career having taken his punishment and learned a lot of lesson.

“You can’t quantify how much we’ve missed him this season. It’s been frustrating beyond belief. If that ban was extended, we would still be feeling that pain and so would Sandro. He wants to play football.”

Sandro TonaliSandro Tonali

Tonali made 12 appearances for Newcastle before his ban / James Gill – Danehouse/GettyImages

During his suspension, Tonali has been free to train with Newcastle and has also been working on his English, with a view to being ready to help the team as soon as his ban comes to an end.

As it stands, Tonali’s ban will expire in August 2024, but he could face further time on the sidelines if the FA choose to extend his suspension.

Tonali’s absence has hurt a Newcastle side who have battled injuries all season. In midfield, Joelinton underwent surgery on his groin in January and may not return this season, while young Lewis Miley is now out with an injury picked up on international duty.

“Lewis has come back to us with a back problem, we are seeking specialist opinion on him, we don’t know exactly what it is right now,” Howe explained.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Jurgen Klopp invites former Liverpool star to training to ‘learn his methods’ – report

Jurgen Klopp has invited former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres to observe training this weekend to learn more about life behind the scenes at Anfield.

Klopp will step down at the end of the season and Liverpool are already on the hunt for a replacement. Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso had been the top target but he is no longer expected to leave his current side.

Amid the search for a new boss, Klopp is reportedly set to hand Torres a crash course over the weekend to give the 40-year-old a deeper insight into life as a top-flight manager.

Marca state that Torres, who currently works with Atletico Madrid’s Under-19 side, will spend Friday and Saturday at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre, before being invited to Anfield on Sunday to watch the Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The point of Torres’ visit is to help the former striker, who scored 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool between 2007 and 2011, learn from Klopp and figure out how things work from a management perspective at Anfield.

Fernando Torres, Nabil El Zhar, Steven GerrardFernando Torres, Nabil El Zhar, Steven Gerrard

Torres scored in a recent charity match / Clive Brunskill/GettyImages

Torres’ visit to training comes just a week after the 40-year-old scored at Anfield in a charity friendly for a team of Liverpool legends, lining up alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Jerzy Dudek and Martin Skrtel.

Importantly, there are no suggestions that Torres’ return to the club has anything to do with the search for a new manager.

Liverpool continue to hunt for replacements for Klopp and, with Alonso now expected to be out of the running, club officials are drawing up a list of possible alternatives.

Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim is a popular choice, while Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi is also seen as a potential target.

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP

Liverpool & Bayern Munich dealt major blow in Xabi Alonso pursuit

Liverpool appear set to throw in the towel in their pursuit of Xabi Alonso as a successor to Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, with the Spanish coach tipped to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Klopp’s impending departure has left Liverpool needing a new manager for the first time since 2015. The Reds had wanted to secure the club’s updated footballing structure before focusing their attention on a replacement for the legendary German, but have successfully appointed Michael Edwards in a more senior role than he had during his previous tenure and Richard Hughes.

Finding a head coach is next on the to-do list, but it suddenly seems unlikely to be Alonso.

The Times has reported that Liverpool have conducted due diligence that indicates Alonso is “minded to stay at Bayer Leverkusen for at least another season.”

The 42-year-old has Leverkusen on the brink of their first ever Bundesliga title thanks to a ten-point lead over Bayern Munich with only eight games of the campaign left to play.

Xabi AlonsoXabi Alonso

Alonso was also wanted by Bayern Munich / Alex Grimm/GettyImages

Rather than waste valuable time and energy trying to convince Alonso otherwise, Liverpool are now expected to put more focus on different options instead. Bayern Munich had also been interested in Alonso as a replacement for Thomas Tuchel, set to depart this summer, although honorary president Uli Hoeness has communicated a similar defeatist stance to Liverpool.

“It will be difficult, if not probably impossible [to hire Alonso]. He is more inclined to stay at Bayer Leverkusen in view of their current successes, because he would not want to leave them behind,” the Bayern chief explained to Das Erste in Germany.

Liverpool had placed Alonso among serious contenders on their seven-strong managerial shortlist alongside Roberto De Zerbi, Julian Nagelsmann and Ange Postecoglou. But with an approach now considered unlikely, it could change things and potentially strengthen Ruben Amorim’s chances.

The Portuguese, currently in charge at Sporting CP, is admired by the Anfield hierarchy but a lack of experience managing in one of Europe’s top five leagues had previously counted against him.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Inter Miami predicted lineup vs NYCFC – MLS

Inter Miami boss Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino will have little choice but to pick a similar lineup to the one that fell against New York Red Bulls last weekend when his team battle NYCFC.

The former Mexico national team head coach chose a more defensive formation against Red Bulls, going with the 3-5-2 shape in the rain last weekend. With limited options up front, don’t be surprised to see Martino go with the same look this Saturday as Miami hope to get back on track.

Here’s how the Herons could line up on Saturday evening at Chase Stadium.

Diego GomezDiego Gomez

Diego Gomez returns to the lineup for Miami / Megan Briggs/GettyImages

GK: Drake Callender – The veteran shot-stopper returns to the mix after serving as a backup on international duty with the USMNT.

CB: Tomas Aviles – He’ll look to put in a much better performance this weekend after a poor showing against Red Bulls.

CB: Serhiy Kryvtsov – Kryvtsov will have his work cut out with the talented NYCFC forwards he’s set to come up against.

CB: Noah Allen – He looked out of sorts at center-back last week but Miami have no other choice but to play the youngster in the back three.

RM: Robert Taylor – The 29-year-old is set to feature as a wing-back for the second straight game.

CM: Julian Gressel – A central midfield role is on the horizon once more for the former Columbus Crew figure.

CM: Sergio Busquets – Continuing to age like a fine wine, the Barcelona legend anchors the middle of the park.

CM: Diego Gomez – The Paraguay international makes a much-needed return to the XI to aid Busquets and Gressel.

LM: Jordi Alba – The 34-year-old looks set to wreak havoc down the left-hand side in his favored position.

ST: Luis Suarez – It was a dull showing last time out for the veteran striker and he’ll look to get back to goalscoring form against the Boys in Blue.

ST: Leo Campana – He’ll look to add to his three goal involvements with another start up top next to Suarez.

READ THE LATEST INTER MIAMI & LIONEL MESSI NEWS, RUMOURS & GOSSIP