Graham Potter hints Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could end his Chelsea EXILE and play in their game with Tottenham this weekend… as Blues boss reveals he is ‘available for selection’ after training with the team on Friday.
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not featured for Chelsea in recent weeks
- Graham Potter has suggested he could be selected this weekend against Tottenham
- The forward has struggled since joining the club last summer from Barcelona
Graham Potter has hinted that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could return to Chelsea’s squad for this weekend’s clash with Tottenham.
The Gabon international, 33, has not been included in the club’s bottom three Premier League squads despite significant goalscoring problems that have seen them net just four times in all competitions this calendar year.
Signed at the end of last summer by Potter’s predecessor Thomas Tuchel, Aubameyang has struggled to revive his career in England and his time at Chelsea came to a nadir when he was left out of the Champions League squad at the end of January. .
However, asked about the prospect of Aubameyang returning to the fold this weekend, Potter said he was “available for selection”.
“He is fighting for a place in the team. Good response to the situation we are in. He is available for selection,” said the under-pressure Chelsea manager.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be set to return to the Chelsea squad this weekend
He was found frozen after being left out of Chelsea’s Champions League squad
The former Arsenal forward trained on Friday ahead of the clash with Tottenham.
Aubameyang’s woes at Chelsea have seemingly piled the pressure on the former Brighton boss, with Potter coming under increasing scrutiny amid a disastrous run of results for his side.
Chelsea have scored just four times in all competitions this calendar year, while they have scored just 23 times in as many Premier League games all season.
One of the accusations leveled at Potter during his time at Brighton was that his side were perfect until the final third, when they struggled to put the ball in the back of the net.
The 1-0 defeat to Southampton at the weekend appeared to be a real moment for Potter and the club, with supporters turning against the manager.
Asked about this at his pre-Tottenham press conference on Friday, Potter revealed that he and his family had received death threats this week.
“You have to take the situation as it is, accept the criticism, but don’t get carried away by things that are wrong. Try to keep perspective but at the same time acknowledge the criticism and bad feeling. That’s the way it should be.
“It’s a challenge and if you go to work and someone swears at you, it’s not going to be pleasant.”
“The world is tough for everybody,” Potter added. “We’re going through an energy crisis, a cost of living crisis, people are going on strike every other week.”
“No one wants to hear about the poor old Premier League manager. However, if you ask me, “Is it hard? Is it hard? Is that nice to hear?’ As much as I’ve had support, I’ve had some not-so-nice emails that want me dead and want my kids dead. This is obviously not a pleasant thing to receive.
Potter also revealed he and his family have received death threats from Chelsea ‘supporters’
“You’re upset when you’re in private with your family. My job is to act as I believe I should in the best way for the team and the club and to act with integrity.
“I never want to be anyone else. I don’t want to be fake. I’m going to be me and do my best and if my best isn’t good enough, fine, I accept that.
Ahead of Sunday’s game, which has been tipped as a clash that could decide the futures of the two managers involved, with Antonio Conte at Tottenham not in an ideal position, Potter admitted he was aware of the severity of his current situation of Chelsea.
“If you’re referred to as ‘the worst person in the history of the club’ you can say ‘I don’t care’ but everyone cares what people think. I want to succeed here, so this idea that I don’t care is nonsense,” he said.