Every word Mauricio Pochettino said on Chelsea injuries, Thiago Silva, Tottenham, Noni Madueke

Mauricio Pochettino faced the media on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Chelsea's clash with Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino takes on his old club Spurs for the second time since joining arch rivals Chelsea and will be hoping for similar fortunes on Thursday night. The Blues beat Tottenham 4-1 in the reverse fixture in what was a manic match in north London.

But ahead of the game, there was even more bad injury news for Pochettino to deliver to the media. Here is every word the Argentine said in his pre-match press conference at Cobham...

Team news?

"No good news because we cannot recover any players from the list but have added Thiago [Silva] and Disasi, they will not be available for tomorrow."

What a brilliant signing Silva was for Chelsea...

"Of course. He is an amazing guy, an amazing professional. I am not going to discover this type of player [again], playing until almost 40-years-old, an amazing career. The player, the fans, the club is going to miss him but he is happy, he is so proud for his career here at Chelsea and different clubs. I wish him the best because he deserves this."

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The Villa game could have been three points. Do you still have the anger after the match?

"Yes, of course. Every single game is a challenge for us and now we have a big challenge against Tottenham, a great team like Tottenham. I think it will be good, a nice game to play because it is an opportunity for some kids to be on the bench and have the possibility maybe to play.

"When this opportunity appears, it is to be conscious, step up and for the kids to say, 'I am here and I want to be there, to play for the first-team of Chelsea'. I think it is a great opportunity and for sure it is going to be a great game."

No VAR in Sweden. Ange Postecoglou said he might move there, are you going to join him?

"Maybe. Why not?"

Are you in favour of the Premier League introducing spending caps?

"I wasn't involved. I am not involved in the process. I do not know what is the right answer."

How does it feel coming up against your former club again?

"It was special when we played there because it was my first time after I left the club but now it is different. It is always emotional because we are going to meet people we worked with for a long period. Yes, I cannot hide my emotion for the club and I think it is going to be emotional.

"Whenever you face your former team and the history is good, the bits you remember, of course. But as I said before, it is 90 minutes, we want to win and Tottenham are going to try and win, also. It will be a good game."

400th game in England for you tomorrow. How do you sum up your time here as manager?

"Amazing. I think it is a dream come true. For me, to think and to come here to England and become a coach here, it was impossible thinking but after the decision of my wife and my friend here Jesus [Perez]. They convinced me to join Southampton.

"That was one of the best decisions in my life to come here to England and enjoy this great football country. Of course, I feel really comfortable. It is like home."

What has the most challenging time been for you?

"Every single period was an amazing challenge for us. To arrive to Southampton when nobody knows us, to try and convince the players and translate our football. In England, before Pep or Klopp arrived, it was only Brendan [Rodgers] who was trying to set a different [style of] football.

"It was an amazing challenge. We met an unbelievable club, unbelievable chairman, unbelievable people, staff, players. It was an amazing journey in Southampton and then Tottenham was amazing also because the challenge was to create a team that can compete and challenge the big sides.

"After one year and a half, we were challenging. For five and nearly six years, we were challenging all of the big teams. We were in the final of the Champions League, building a new stadium, a new training ground. To be part of this journey was an amazing time.

"Now, to be here with Chelsea, also an amazing club, with an amazing history in a process to try and develop and be an exciting project that knowing we need time – maybe it is the most challenging period now."

Do you have another 400 games in you?

"I think we are still young, no? I think we are trying now to enjoy every single day and provide our knowledge and experience to the club. Of course, it's always our obsession, our passion, the adrenaline we want to feel in our body every time we go training or compete in a game.

"It is difficult to say I am going to stop being a coach or we are going to stop doing what we love. I hope yes we can be doing it for another 400 games."

How highly do you rate Ange Postecoglou?

"I think he has recovered for the fans and the club the hope, you know? They are playing very good football. It is always difficult when you arrive to a new country, the challenge is massive. But he is doing a fantastic job and every time you watch Tottenham you enjoy how they play."

How pleased were you with the fightback at Villa?

"Yes, so pleased because it's about to learn. The process, we need to learn. You need to live the experience and learn from the experience. That is a massive challenge to have all of this potential, talented players competing in the most tough league in the world."

Does that show you how quickly players can adapt to experience?

"Yes. With ups and downs but I think yes they are learning. It is a process. We need to help and force them to realise the areas they need to improve and the areas they can be better. We were talking before about the project, with one, two or three players, it is easier. But when you have plenty of young players, it is not more difficult but you need more time for them to learn."

400 games – one of them was the 'Battle of the Bridge'. Talk us through your emotions that night?

"I remember it really well. My memory is good. It was a really tough game, a difficult night. We needed to win and Chelsea were an experienced team. I remember they had [Cesc] Fabregas, [Eden] Hazard – what a team, no?

"They were not doing a fantastic season but in that one game they competed well because they knew how to compete. It was a battle because we wanted to win and we were very competitive. Sometimes we crossed the line and it was a really difficult moment but it shows you how competitive we were with Tottenham and that is why a few years after we were in the final of the Champions League because we were a very competitive team."

How was the game earlier in the season when you went back for the first time?

"It was a game that was a tough game because they started really well. You need more than to play well but to have some luck and I think so many things went for us and against Tottenham earlier this season. I hope the positive things will be on our side tomorrow and for us it is really important the three points."

Have you and your staff managed to figure out why the club are getting so many injuries?

"I need to be honest. What I can say is with a new club, a new process and a new institute, always things we can do better, of course. We all feel the responsibility. Then it is too many circumstances to explain why. It is difficult to explain with one word or one sentence.

"Of course, we are working to try and improve. We have amazing medical staff, performance area, coaching staff – we all have experience managing clubs and being in this business. When some circumstances arrive, sometimes it can happen, of course we need to put all of the information on the table and to be better next season.

"We need to improve with communications, dynamics, strategies, everything that we need to put our knowledge to try and improve. But I think the quality is here. It happens sometimes with the team, sometimes the team does not perform, but the consistency of the new project can sometimes can [disrupt the form]. But I do not say it is that. There are so many things that maybe are all together today and that is why we are suffering so many injuries."

Do you expect Madueke to kick on for the rest of the season?

"Yes, of course. He is doing well. He scored against Aston Villa. He is improving a lot without the ball. The challenge for him is to improve without the ball, to be more connected in the defensive side. He can [do that]. I hope he can take advantage of the possibility to play more until the end of the season."