Mauricio Pochettino has hinted that he is struggling to start two of his young stars together at Chelsea.
He said in his pre-match press conference that he believes it is difficult for one of his attackers to play alongside Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer has easily been the player of the season so far at Chelsea, with him starring in his first real campaign as a first team player.
Cole Palmer starring for Chelsea
He sits on a combined tally of goals that has not been seen in a Blue shirt in the Premier League since the days of Eden Hazard.
The win against Manchester United in recent weeks was perhaps the biggest example of just how much they are relying on him right now, and he is clearly the first name on the teamsheet right now.
Pochettino admits hard to play both Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke
This has perhaps been to the detrement of one player in particular, with Pochettino admitting starting him with Noni Madueke has been a struggle.
He said: “First of all it’s about to have the space for him because when the club sign Cole Palmer, he [Madueke] was also here at the club and they’re in the same position.
“It’s all about adaptation and trying to find the dynamic where him and Palmer can play together. Hopefully he can be consistent playing in the starting XI and show his quality. But always it’s about to find the right balance in the team.”
Madueke was arguably the shining light of the recent 2-2 draw against Sheffield United, marking the performance with a thunderous strike.
It remains to be seen if he will be trusted with a start for Monday night’s game against Everton, where the Blues will be desperate to return to winning ways and finally kickstart a proper push to what seems a very achievable European place finish.