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Chelsea have praised Graham Potter for starting six youth academy players in their Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Saturday, 12 November.
The game at St. James' Park is a crucial encounter for both teams, with the Blues currently sitting eighth in the Premier League table, six points behind the Magpies. Ahead of the game on Tyneside, Potter named his starting lineup for the game, which included a number of surprises.
Chelsea have not won in any of their previous four games, which has prompted Graham Potter to make numerous changes. The most notable inclusion is a Premier League debut for left-back Lewis Hall.
The teenager was impressive during the Blues' League Cup defeat against Manchester City earlier in the week, but will have a job on his hands to try to keep out an in-form Newcastle attack. Elsewhere in the team, Potter has also selected Conor Gallagher, who was selected for England's FIFA World Cup squad this week.
Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah will also start, having established themselves as first-team regulars. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Armando Broja make up the half-dozen Cobham graduates who are in the starting lineup.
Ahead of their clash with the Toon Army, Chelsea fans took to Twitter to voice their support for Potter's decision to play the youth:
Graham Potter claims Chelsea will use FIFA World Cup break to 'recover'
The 47-year-old's time in charge of Chelsea started in excellent fashion following his move from Brighton & Hove Albion, but momentum has stalled in recent weeks. Potter has claimed that his squad will use the imminent break to recover, while also having discussions with the club's owner.
Potter told a press conference (as per Sky Sports):
"I'm a human being as well. I've come from Brighton, where everything was pretty much organized over a three-year period. Pretty quickly you're into the washing machine in terms of the games and the turnaround.
"You have to deal with all that's going on and the amount of matches you play, and then you need a bit of time to reflect - if there is that time. There is because of the World Cup break and it would be stupid of me not to use that time to rejuvenate, to recover, to reflect and to improve."
On his relationship with owner Todd Boehly, Potter further added:
"We have regular dialogue, so that's part of an ongoing process. Sometimes you need to reflect, you need to think and you need to analyze and if you have the space to do it, it's better.
"Absolutely, we need to think about what's happened and we need to think about what we need to do to improve."
