Noni Madueke, Right winger, England
Madueke left a lot to be desired when it came to making the final pass, but his dribbling and space creation was very good. With the former PSV Eindhoven youth player being the only nominal right winger at the club, he has the advantage of at least showing Pochettino what he can do before anyone else gets that chance, and he’d do well to use it. Chelsea is not linked to any known right wingers. Mykhailo Mudryk might partner Madueke at right winger for now, due to how both players play and how direct they both are.
Christopher Nkunku, Central attacking midfielder, France
Nkunku had a phenomenal season last year and the Blues are getting a very intelligent player. He’s the best option on the roster for this role.
Raheem Sterling, Left winger, England
Sterling is the strongest possible option at left winger. He came in as a high profile signing and while he has not lived up to the expectation, his quality is obvious. His presence in the starting lineup would be key, especially because he has a level of experience that no one else – except Thiago Silva – has, as he has been in high pressure environments for the past 7-8 seasons, so he would, more than most, know what’s required to perform and stay at the level expected of a Chelsea player.
Nicolas Jackson, Center forward, Senegal
Jackson would be the ideal striker option, mainly because the marquee striker signing that Chelsea made in 2021/22 has made it clear what he thinks about playing at Stamford Bridge again. A player that doesn’t want to be at the club is worse than a player that isn’t good enough to play at the club, because the former will affect a lot more than on-pitch results. Jackson is clearly a very gifted player, and deserves to get a chance to show what he can do under the tutelage of Pochettino.