Chelsea star Noni Madueke has left Mauricio Pochettino with a huge dilemma due to his sparkling international form. The Blues have finally got their attackers firing, but a goal-laden two weeks with the England Under-21s has put Madueke in the frame to feature against Arsenal on Saturday.
Goals had been a massive issue for Chelsea during Pochettino’s first few weeks at the helm. But a 1-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa last month acted as a turning point, and the Londoners put together a positive run of results before the international break.
Consecutive wins over Brighton, Fulham and Burnley, with seven goals scored in total, should see Chelsea return to Premier League action brimming with confidence. And that’s just as well, with Arsenal sure to pose a stern test as they chase down a league title.
Raheem Sterling, Cole Palmer and Mykhyalo Mudryk have all started to find form under Pochettino, and the Argentine will surely be keen not to disrupt their rhythm.
But Madueke bagged three goals in two games while on U21 duty, putting forward a strong case for Pochettino to shake up a side which has only just begun firing on all cylinders.
The 21-year-old scored twice in a 9-1 demolition of Serbia last week, and followed that up with another goal in a 3-2 defeat to Ukraine. Madueke is yet to start a single Premier League match this term, despite finishing last season strongly under interim boss Frank Lampard.
The former PSV Eindhoven ace has been forced to watch on while fellow youngster Palmer moves ahead of him in the pecking order. The £45million summer signing has been a star turn since signing from Manchester City, and while fears were sparked when he withdrew from the latest England U21 squad, manager Lee Carsley was quick to ease concerns.
“I think Cole will be fine, but we don’t take any chances with any of the players,” he said. “If there is a slight doubt that they’re going to miss a game at the weekend, we get them back to the clubs as quickly as we can. We could’ve kept Cole here another day and see how it was, but we didn’t think it was right.”
It remains to be seen whether Madueke has done enough away from Cobham to convince Pochettino that he is worth a shot against the Gunners. Mikel Arteta’s side will arrive at Stamford Bridge riding their own wave of momentum after beating title rivals Manchester City last time out.
Arsenal are one of only two unbeaten sides left in the Premier League this campaign, and a win on Saturday could see them leapfrog local rivals Tottenham to take top spot.
