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Mauricio Pochettino explains why Moises Caicedo missed Chelsea training before Aston Villa clash.
Mauricio Pochettino has stated that Moises Caicedo will have a fitness test on Saturday to see whether he can play against Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Ecuador midfielder returned from the international break with a knock that caused him to miss the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, but Caicedo was also not seen at Chelsea training this week, raising concerns that he may have picked up something more severe.
Caicedo’s name, though, was missing from Chelsea’s injury update on Friday.
“We need to assess Moi [on Saturday],” Pochettino said in his press conference. “He was training in an individual way, not with the team.
“We need to assess him to see if he can be involved on Sunday.”
There was also good news regarding Armando Broja, the striker who had knee surgery in December and may be ready to play this Sunday.
“Armando can be involved maybe,” Pochettino added. “It’s not sure. We need to assess him tomorrow.”
Chelsea’s continued goal drought may be greatly helped by Broja’s comeback, but Pochettino urged caution as the academy product regained his footing after nine months on the sidelines.
“Broja arrives and maybe will be involved at the weekend but it’s after nine months of not competing,” he said. “We cannot put responsibility on him. The responsibility must be on the team and the collective effort. We cannot expect Broja will score with every single touch, he needs to feel the competition.”