After claiming he was worried about the amount of player-related issues the club had racked up over the past few seasons, the Blues curse has not been forgiving to the Argentinian, handing him over 15 separate issues in the few months he's been in the dugout. Despite that, his Chelsea side have started to find their feet.
A 4-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday marked the third straight victory for Pochettino's side, a complete flip in form considering they almost completely failed to score in the month of September. Wins over Brighton and Fulham have meant a steady climb into 11th, but they'll now face their toughest challenge of the season in the form of an unbeaten Arsenal side that sit joint-top of the Premier League.
One big boost the Blues could receive for that clash after the international break is the return of captain Reece James, who has been missing since the first week of the season. The 23-year-old suffered a issue in training after the Liverpool match but was most recently handed a one-match ban following a dispute with an official against Aston Villa.
It meant that he missed the clash against Burnley over the weekend, but could be available for the Gunners' trip to Stamford Bridge later this month with Pochettino no doubt hoping his defensive unit will be bolstered by the return. Following the announcement of his suspension, Pochettino said: "I think he was training with the group and he is suspended for tomorrow.
"I think yes [he will be back soon]. We are really happy with his recovery and, after his injury, he is doing well.Another player set to return to full fitness over the international break is Cole Palmer after the summer signing was subbed off against the Clarets with what looked like a potential muscle injury. Having scored his first Chelsea goal from the penalty spot, the 21-year-old was replaced by Ian Maatsen late on but Pochettino is said to hope it's only muscle fatigue or a slight cramp he was dealing with.
Mykhailo Mudryk is also set to return to full fitness over the international break, with the Blues manager not wanting to risk a start against Burnley after suffering a minor quad issue against Fulham. He managed the final seven minutes well enough to provide hope he'll be fine to be selected against Arsenal in two weeks' time.
Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah are another two defensive options who could come back into the fray over the next two weeks. The pair have been dealing with separate long-term issues from pre-season but are now believed to be nearing full fitness after returning to full-team training over the last few weeks. Both are yet to play for the Blues this season but could make important cameos against the Gunners or in their match following that against Brentford.
Vice captain Ben Chilwell is set for a spell on the sidelines after he was injured in a clash with former Blues midfielder Billy Gilmour against Brighton two weeks ago. Football.london understands he's unlikely to play until December, with Pochettino admitting: "It is difficult. I am no doctor and I cannot tell you what you are asking me. I think it is about judging day by day and we cannot say the period he will be out."
Midfielder Romeo Lavia is another star from the summer who is yet to play for Chelsea. The 19-year-old hasn't laced up his boots for the club due to not arriving at the level Pochettino wanted him at, and was training with the senior side in order to catch up to their levels of fitness.
It was in that training that he suffered an ankle injury which has put him out until November, but he's unlikely to play for Chelsea until December given he hadn't fully caught up to the seniors in fitness before the injury occurred. Wesley Fofana and Christopher Nkunku are the other two long-term injuries the Blues have had to monitor, but there was some positive news from the latter earlier this week.
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