Mauricio Pochettino's bemused response at press conference spoke volumes about Chelsea player
Chelsea's head coach Mauricio Pochettino was noticeably confused when he heard Malang Sarr's name mentioned in a press conference earlier this year, illustrating just how far down the pecking order Sarr has fallen at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues had just defeated Luton 3-0 in late August thanks to a double from Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Jackson scoring his first ever goal for the club. The team line-up boasted some of the most costly footballers in British history, marking a stark switch from the Roman Abramovich era.
Indeed, the change in times couldn't be more evident as Sarr, one of the last remaining signings under Abramovich, was nowhere in sight. The Frenchman isn't part of Chelsea's 25-member Premier League squad and hasn't been included in any matchday teams so far this season. He wasn't even chosen to travel with the Blues during their pre-season tour of America.
So we might forgive Pochettino his surprise when questioned on the whereabouts of 25-year-old Sarr and fellow first-team exile Jamie Cumming, to which the coach responded: «Who?» Upon hearing the players' names repeated, Pochettino said: «Oh my goodness. I don't know what I can tell you. I don't know because you surprised me! It's like you punch [me in the face] and I am like this [startled]. Because we were talking about Luton!»
Pochettino's failure to recognise Sarr's name when asked about Chelsea's performance against Luton could be because the former Nice centre-back has only played eight times for the Blues, all during the 2020-21 season, after signing on a free transfer from the French club.
Sarr has been loaned to Porto and Monaco, but no permanent move was arranged last summer or in January. He is thought to train with the U21s, away from the first
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