Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has revealed that he has held a one-on-one meeting with Moises Caicedo as the midfielder looks to improve his form.
Caicedo joined Chelsea from Brighton for a fee that could rise to £115million in a British record transfer but he has struggled for consistency so far.
The Ecuador international’s progress hasn’t been helped by the fact that he frequently has to travel to South America for international duty.
In addition, Caicedo has had to contend with a knee problem and Pochettino stressed that he needs to be given time to hit the heights that he reached at Brighton.
Pochettino said: ‘Before this press conference, he was in my office for twenty minutes. It is easy because we speak Spanish. It is a subconscious process and that is a problem – only in time can you adapt.’
We had no pre-season with him. We talk about footballers; it is physical and mental, and there is the talent. If you want to express your talent, you need to be clear in your mind and be good in your legs; otherwise, it is not possible to move
Travelling to South America is tough, two or three weeks with us – 25 or 30 days – and then away for 10 or 12 days.
‘Then, he came back with some issues with his knee. That didn’t help. It is not an excuse; it is the reality – we need time.’
Caicedo has made 14 appearances for Chelsea so far and hopes that he will soon be able to turn a corner in terms of producing more consistent performances.
When he was at Brighton Caicedo demonstrated what he is capable of as he frequently broke up play to excellent effect and was also able to launch attacks.
With Chelsea still going through a period of transition as a team, Caicedo hasn’t come in to a settled side, which has made matters difficult for him.
On Sunday Chelsea host Brighton, which could see Caicedo take on his former club.
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