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Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed Chelsea want at least two more signings before the transfer window closes after ruing the club’s “bad luck” with injuries.
The Blues have already spent more than £320 million ($404m) this summer but Pochettino wants further additions as a mounting injury list continues to grow with nine players ruled out of Friday’s Premier League home game against Luton.
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Mykhailo Mudryk became the latest absentee after picking up a minor problem in training this week while Carney Chukwuemeka underwent knee surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks.
New signing Romeo Lavia is not injured but will not make his debut “for a few weeks” as he looks to gain match fitness and the overall picture has driven a desire to strengthen the squad before Sept. 1.
One of the new arrivals will be New England Revolution goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, who is expected to undergo a medical imminently ahead of a £14m move while Chelsea are also considering moves for Nottingham Forest‘s Brennan Johnson and Arsenal‘s United States international, Folarin Balogun.
“We need at least one keeper,” Pochettino said on Thursday. “We have very talented young keepers but they need time. We need more and then we were talking about one offensive player, the right profile.
“If we can add the right profile, yes, but not to bring players so we can add one more. We don’t want to stop the evolution of some young guys, Broja, Nkunku. Working hard but not to take a decision because we need someone. These two areas we maybe need some players.
“We are trying to find the right profile. The most important is the profile of the player we need to add to the squad so after it won’t be a problem and they can be compatible. That is why it is not easy but yes, we are trying to do something.
“It is open, the transfer window, and the club is working and yes some players are rumoured with the club, maybe true or not true, we will inform when something happens.”
Pochettino believes there is no overarching reason why Chelsea have suffered so many fitness problems.
Wesley Fofana, Christopher Nkunku and Armando Broja have all sustained serious knee injuries — the latter in December prior to Pochettino’s arrival.
Benoit Badiashile and Marcus Bettinelli were also injured last season and is yet to return while Trevoh Chalobah was injured in pre-season and Reece James suffered a hamstring problem in training.
“Many of them are bad luck,” continued Pochettino. “Nkunku and Carney or Fofana. How can you control? It’s not about training or training hard or less or too much or methodology. It sometimes happens.
“In some others, many factors can influence. It’s difficult to talk in general because situations are different. Also the past. Many factors are there.
“We need to talk about Carney, we need to talk about Broja, about Mudyrk, and explain why but it is difficult to explain why. In general you can talk about bad luck or bad training session, many factors can influence. For sure it is bad luck in Carney, Broja, Fofana, Nkunku.”
Pochettino also insisted he is “relaxed” about Romelu Lukaku’s uncertain future despite still not having talked to the striker since becoming head coach on July 1.
Chelsea want to offload Lukaku but are yet to receive a satisfactory offer from Juventus — which is thought to be the Belgium striker’s preferred destination having rejected interest from the Saudi Pro League.
“If the player and clubs wish is to find a solution, it’s not me, it’s them,” Pochettino said. “In that case, the player and the club will meet and inform to me that things changed. I’m not going to move until the club or the player want to talk with me. I am here, I accept the situation that was here when I arrived.
“Club and the player, both try to find a solution. The future can change things. Life can change. I saw Klopp say I’m not going to be in this business when we should pay £100 million, and then they offered £100 million and he said ‘Oh, I made a mistake.’ That is the same situation. In football, the dynamic is fast and changes and we need to move on.
“Today, nothing has changed. If something changes we will adapt to the situation.”