"Need to be careful": Chelsea manager reveals 27-year-old might miss Aston Villa FA Cup game

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says Ben Chilwell needs to be managed carefully after he made his first start in 118 days against Middlesbrough. The Chelsea assistant captain missed almost four months due to a hamstring injury but showed his class in his first start to help the team reach the League Cup final this week. 

Asked if he was ready for his second start in 72 hours, the Chelsea manager said it was best to err on the side of caution. Pochettino told reporters at the club's Surrey training base: "Now we have doubts to start him tomorrow. We are assessing him to see if he can cope with another game in three days. "It's not a mental problem. It's not only convincing him to trust his body. It's to trust with us and the way we work but he's always very optimistic. We need to be careful. The player always wants to play." 

The England defender made a difference in the way the team played straight away, offering an attacking outlet down the left side of the field. He's one of the leaders of the team and Pochettino says he gives more to the team than meets the eye and his experience is a valuable addition. 

He added: "I think he's an experienced player and of course, I think the challenge from pre-season was to build his fitness and improve, not only his offensive phase but his defensive phase. That was the challenge for us: to help him become a more complete player."

Chelsea will hope that his fitness issues are behind him and he's able to contribute effectively in the second half of the campaign.