"I don’t understand why you play him there": Ex-Chelsea star can't believe what Mauricio Pochettino is doing with 20-year-old

Former Chelsea right-back Mario Melchiot isn't pleased with Mauricio Pochettino playing Levi Colwill out of position.

The 20-year-old English has been with the Blues since he joined their academy from Southampton in 2011. But he had to wait 12 years to make his senior debut for the club, which came under Mauricio Pochettino this season.

Colwill impressed during his loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion last season, playing in 17 league games as the Seagulls finished sixth — their best-ever top-flight finish. Brighton wanted to sign him permanently this summer but Chelsea didn't budge.

Instead, the centre-back signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge in August. Pochettino clearly trusts him in his XI, handing him starts in all of his team's seven games across competitions this term.

However, Colwill has started at left-back in the last two league games despite Ian Maatsen and Ben Chilwell being on the bench. Melchiot, who played for Chelsea from 1999 to 2004, believes Pochettino is wrong to play the youngster out of position.

The Dutchman told ESPN FC (h/t TheChelseaChronicle):

"I like Colwill. I was one of the first to say don’t sell him, but I don’t understand why you play him there. If you want to play him, play him in the centre of the backline, in the centre."

The former Tottenham Hotspur manager is clearly experimenting with Chelsea's left flank this season. Chilwell, who is naturally a left-back, has majorly played as an attacking left midfielder, especially in Chelsea's first four league games.

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Mauricio Pochettino happy with Levi Colwill playing at left-back for Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino is confident about his decision to keep playing Levi Colwill at left-back.

'Pcoh' was recently speaking to the press ahead of Chelsea's EFL Cup third-round match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday (27 September). He was asked why Ben Chilwell was left out of the starting XI in the last two games. to which he replied, via Football.London:

"I am so happy with Levi and the way he is playing. He is providing the team with a very good balance. Chilly has the possibility to play tomorrow. We were using him maybe not in his best position because he was a winger, that is why when we start to play with Mischa, our thought was to keep Levi in the position."

It seems Pochettino wants to stop playing Chilwell in an attacking role and hand opportunities to Mykhaylo Mudryk instead. For that, the Argentine apparently trusts Colwill to provide a strong defensive base to the left flank.

Chilwell has worn the armband for the Blues in Reece James' absence but is now struggling to find a place in Pochettino's XI.