'We don't need a big squad' - Mauricio Pochettino warns he's ready to make 'tough' decisions at Chelsea

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino asserted that he «doesn't need a big squad» and is ready to take some «tough» calls in the transfer window.

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues, who have 29 players in their pre-season camp, were held to a 1-1 draw by Newcastle United in a pre-season friendly in Atlanta with Nicolas Jackson and Miguel Almiron getting on the scoresheet for the two teams. Pochettino is adamant he must reduce the size of his squd before the Premier League kicks off as he fears that team morale could be affected if too many players did not see regular game time.

WHAT THEY SAID: «At the moment the dynamic is very good, really good guys and they are sharing the time together. It is difficult because sometimes in every game three, four, five players cannot play and that is difficult because the mood is difficult. It is about creating a squad with good balance and people who have the opportunity to play and can compete for their place,» he told after the friendly.

«That is a big job and challenge for us in the transfer window to build a good relationship and good balance. Then, if players are not happy because they believe they are not going to play, we are going to find a solution with the club and fix the situation. What we cannot have is a massive squad, players not be involved and then it's going to create a mess in the squad. Maybe less is more and more is less, it is not mathematic. That is why I need to make clear we don't need a big squad. We need 22, 23, 24 players with some younger and that's it. I am so sorry because maybe the decision will be tough but we need to build a good and balanced team who want to compete for things,» he added.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Pochettino insisted that he needs a «happy» squad and warned