Chelsea have been in freefall this season and haven't managed to get near to hitting the heights expected at the start of 2022/23 in west London.

Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have come and gone, with Frank Lampard now in interim charge at the Blues until the end of this term as they try to find a new manager to take the reins.

Football Insider have claimed that Chelsea will confirm their new manager by the end of this week and former Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is in pole position to land the role.

One of his first challenges, should he be installed as the figure to lead Chelsea forward, will be identifying which players he can rely on come 2023/24. The Blues have a bloated squad, including several youthful talents that perhaps haven't been given a fair rub of the green as they try to force their way through into the first team at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea striker Armando Broja has experienced some extremely unfortunate circumstances this season and has suffered more than most.

Despite signing a new long-term £40k-a-week contract last September that will keep him on the books at Chelsea until the summer of 2028, the Albania international sustained a horrific ACL injury in a mid-season training camp that ruled him out for the rest of 2022/23, as per Sky Sports.

Nevertheless, Pochettino is known for his capacity to develop stars of the future and could well have an eye on the 21-year-old if he is to be appointed as manager.

How has Armando Broja faired this season and in the past?

Broja has made just 18 appearances across all competitions this campaign, registering one goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Even when fit, the Slough-born forward has been gently nurtured into competing in senior matches and only three of these outings were starts for the Blues.

In 2021/22, Broja spent time on loan at fellow Premier League club Southampton and effectively led the line on the South Coast, claiming nine goals and one assist in 38 fixtures completed, courtesy of Transfermarkt.

Current caretaker Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who gave Broja his debut at the club, spoke kindly about the Albanian in an interview back in February 2022, as per METRO, stating: "Well, I gave him his debut at Chelsea, so I did know him! He’s a very nice, very good lad and a very talented young boy. He came into us at the start of the Covid times, trained with us and showed the attributes that I think you’re seeing now in the Premier League at Southampton. He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths in a Southampton team playing very well."

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown believes that Broja would be willing to buy into Pochettino's methods should the Argentinian coach take charge in west London, potentially fostering an 'exciting partnership' between the two.

Brown told FFC: "I do think it's an exciting partnership. I think Broja will fit Pochettino's style very well. Everyone is assuming Pochettino will come in and try to return to the kind of Spurs blueprint he had, where they started out as a really dynamic, high-pressing team with overlapping wing-backs. You could see that working at Chelsea because there are a lot of young hungry players there like Broja, who I think would buy into that kind of play. We don't know that's what Pochettino is going to do, but Chelsea do have two of the best wing-backs in the world. They have plenty of centre-backs who could play a three. It would make sense with the squad they have."

With Broja set to return to the fold ahead of schedule, his big break may be just around the corner at a good time for both the club and the player.

Come pre-season, Pochettino could prospectively be the man to unlock the 21-year-old and help him to deliver on his undoubted potential at Stamford Bridge next term.