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Mauricio Pochettino admitted Moises Caicedo’s international commitments with Ecuador have complicated the midfielder’s early Chelsea career. The club paid a British record £115million to sign the 22-year-old from Brighton in August but frequent trips to South America to play for his country have limited the time he has been able to spend working with coaching staff at Cobham. He has played 14 times in all competitions since his arrival, recovering from a red card on his first appearance against West Ham to become a steady if not yet spectacular performer in the heart of midfield. Since joining Chelsea he has been called up three times by Ecuador and played in six matches, with each international window requiring a more than 11,000-mile round trip, sometimes not arriving back in London until the early hours of the day before Chelsea’s next game. He revealed in an interview with the club’s website this week that he spent much of his first 10 days in England alone in a hotel room in tears and suffering from homesickness, after joining the Seagulls from Independiente del Valle in his home country in January 2021 during the Covid pandemic. Restrictions on movement for people arriving into the UK meant he was unable to meet his Brighton team-mates until completing a period of quarantine, during which he phoned his parents in Ecuador asking to return home. He recovered to become one of the standout successes of the team that Roberto De Zerbi led to a club-best sixth-placed Premier League finish last campaign, sparking a bidding war between Liverpool and Chelsea in which Pochettino’s side were victorious. The manager reiterated a call for patience as Caicedo navigates life at Chelsea amid a hectic World Cup qualifying schedule internationally. “When we signed him we knew what is going to happen,” said Pochettino. “He’s an emotional guy, an emotional player that needs time to recover. “It didn’t help also the international games, travelling to Ecuador, to South America. That is really tough every single month, two or three weeks then go 10, 12 days away, then come back sometimes with some injury. “It’s not an excuse but it’s the reality. Now we need time. Of course I say (the team) always need to perform. That is our mentality. But in some situations like his, we need to give time and not to be unfair in the way that we assess him.” Caicedo has formed a reliable partnership in midfield with Enzo Fernandez, who the club paid a then-British record £107m to sign from Benfica in January while Graham Potter was in charge. Pochettino revealed that the Argentinian World Cup winner asked for extra time off during the summer due to fatigue and was granted permission to join up late with the squad on their United States tour. “It’s different because Enzo arrived last January, he was with different coaches here,” said the manager. “He asked when we arrived for a period of holiday because he was tired after the World Cup and everything. He joined us in North Carolina. “I cannot judge the past. Only I can talk from when we arrived (at Chelsea). We expect all, not only (these two), all the players, even the ones not too much involved, to push their level.” Read More Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Ange Postecoglou knows he can succeed at Tottenham by sticking to plan Vincent Kompany feels increasing diversity at boardroom level the key to change Burnley belief still burning bright for Vincent Kompany Tiger Woods says fatigue to blame for dropped shots in closing holes Phil Vickery and Gavin Henson among ex-players named in rugby concussion lawsuit

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England kept their bid to secure Olympics qualification for Great Britain alive in dramatic fashion as Ella Toone’s stoppage-time goal completed a fightback from two goals down to beat the Netherlands 3-2 at Wembley. Needing a win to remain in contention to finish top in Nations League Group A1, the final position required for them to have a chance of obtaining a place for GB at next summer’s Games in Paris, the Lionesses were on course for a third defeat in the pool as Lineth Beerensteyn notched a first-half brace for the Dutch. But Sarina Wiegman’s side battled back with two goals in quick succession from Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp just prior to the hour mark, before substitute Toone capped the turnaround in the first minute of time added on to bring a huge roar from the 71,632 crowd in attendance. It leaves England in second place, level on points with the Netherlands and one in front of Belgium, ahead of concluding their group matches by playing Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday. Belgium drew 1-1 with Scotland in Friday’s other Group A1 contest. England and the Dutch are also level in terms of head-to-head record, with the latter – who face Belgium at home next week – having a goal difference superior by three. Knowing it was win or bust, England made a lively start, with Lauren James and Chloe Kelly sending headers off target and Hemp – on her 50th appearance for the team – bringing a fine save out of Daphne van Domselaar with an 11th-minute shot. But moments later they were behind as Victoria Pelova played a ball from the right to Beerensteyn, who got away from Bronze and Jess Carter and struck beyond Mary Earps, England’s captain in the absence of the injured Millie Bright. The Netherlands almost had a second in the 24th minute when Jill Roord lofted an effort that came back off the bar. After James and Dutch skipper Sherida Spitse hit attempts too high, the visitors then did double their lead as Carter failed to intercept a bouncing ball and Beerensteyn seized upon it and hit a low shot. Earps dived and got her glove to the ball, only to see it slip past her and trickle in – something that left her beating the turf in frustration. England’s attempts to hit back before the interval saw Kelly drill wide, a James shot gathered by Van Domselaar and Bronze miss with a header. Wiegman reacted at the break by taking off Kelly and introducing Beth Mead for her England return, just over a year after suffering an ACL injury, before the push continued with James looping a shot into the stand. England were then swiftly back on level terms thanks to a quickfire double as Stanway headed home from a James delivery in the 58th minute, then teed up Hemp’s strike from the edge of the box two minutes later. As Wiegman’s team hunted a winner, Mead headed wide and Toone – brought on in the 68th minute – saw a shot deflect off Caitlin Dijkstra, before Earps denied Lieke Martens. It seemed England’s efforts were destined to end in vain, but soon after, with the contest having entered stoppage time, James sent a delivery to the far post, Toone slotted in and Wembley erupted. Read More Tiger Woods says fatigue to blame for dropped shots in closing holes Phil Vickery and Gavin Henson among ex-players named in rugby concussion lawsuit Jos Buttler motivated by poor World Cup to drive England forward Hossein Vafaei vows no repeat of ‘crazy’ break-off in Ronnie O’Sullivan rematch Para thrower Funmi Oduwaiye ‘always knew I was destined for great things’ Cameron Norrie links up with coach Stephen Huss in bid to rediscover form

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Newcastle United are planning to firm up their interest in Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips during the January transfer window.

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