Chelsea‘s league-high tally of 56 yellow cards can be attributed to a lack of experience, manager Mauricio Pochettino said ahead of a Premier League game against Crystal Palace for which key players Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer have been suspended.
Nicolas Jackson, Malo Gusto, Conor Gallagher, Marcus Bettinelli, Sterling and Palmer were all shown yellow cards in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Wolves.
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Sterling and Palmer’s bookings were their fifth yellow cards of the season, ruling them out of Wednesday’s home clash against Palace.
Asked if Chelsea’s struggles with keeping their players in line were caused by a lack of discipline in the squad, Pochettino told reporters: “No — it’s representative of the fact that we play for Chelsea, we are a big club and you feel the pressure.
“When you are frustrated and lack a bit of experience, it’s [something] we can improve. It’s Palmer’s first season in the Premier League and it is normal.
“He is playing for Chelsea. Of course, it’s frustrating. But the players care, the players want to win. It’s not about a lack of discipline, it’s about having the ability to read the situation of the game.”
Pochettino also pointed toward injuries as a contributing factor in his team’s overall struggles, with at least eight players unfit for the meeting with Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, who are 10th in the Premier League table, host Palace on Wednesday before travelling to Luton Town on Saturday.
Information from Associated Press contributed to this report