Mauricio Pochettino has revealed the reasons behind his substitution of two Chelsea stars during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter final clash with Newcastle.

The Blues battled back from a goal down to equalise and beat Newcastle 4-2 in a penalty shootout at Stamford Bridge.

Callum Wilson had given the visitors the lead after a first-half error by Benoit Badiashile, before Mykhailo Mudryk equalised late on to drag the affair to a shootout.

All of Chelsea’s penalty takers buried their efforts, while Kieran Trippier missed, and Matt Ritchie had his shot saved by Djordje Petrovic.

Enzo Fernandez was however, taken off in the first half of the game after just 32 minutes, but Pochettino has now disclosed that the Argentine’s substitution was due to an illness he had.

“He felt sick,” said Pochettino after the game.

“He didn’t feel well before the game and then when he started to play, it wasn’t going well. He asked to come out because he wasn’t feeling well.

“He was a little bit sick before the game. He tried, he wanted to play, see if it goes well but it goes not so well and that is why [he looked upset].”

On Levi Colwill, who was also removed after the first half, Poch added: ‘Colwill was more tactics. He was a little bit tired at the end of the first half. Levi is going to be ready for the next game.

“My perception was he was a little bit tired and we wanted a more offensive player to provide more energy. That was why we go for the option.”