Chelsea and head coach Mauricio Pochettino have each defended Conor Gallagher after he failed to shake the hand of a mascot ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixture against Burnley.
In the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, Gallagher again wore the captain's armband and led his side out onto the Stamford Bridge pitch.
Prior to doing so, the England international pleasantly greeted one mascot, but failed to shake the hand of another, who held his hand out for Gallagher for several seconds with the midfielder seemingly oblivious to the gesture.
The video of the incident has since gone viral with the 24-year-old receiving widespread criticism and abuse on social media.
However, prior to Thursday's game with Manchester United on Thursday, the Blues and Pochettino have leaped to the defence of the academy graduate.
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What have Chelsea had to say?
In a club statement, Chelsea said: "Chelsea Football Club is aware of a video clip circulating on social media from Saturday's fixture against Burnley, which has been taken considerably out of context.
"The subsequent level of abuse and defamatory comments directed towards Conor Gallagher is completely unacceptable.
"We are proud to be a diverse, inclusive club where people from all cultures, communities and identities feel welcome."
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Pochettino 'very upset' over Gallagher abuse'
Addressing the incident at a press conference on Wednesday, Pochettino told reporters: "It has upset me so much because no one wants to do something like this, with this intention. He was so well, with so many photos, videos and photography with both mascots and then when you play football, you are there, you are focusing on so many things, focusing to play, to start the game, that sometimes can happen.
"People want to abuse the people. People always try to find things to create a mess and to abuse the people that if you know, I know Conor, I know the people that are involved here in Chelsea, I can talk for the people I know.
"Come on, there is no intention. Conor is a great, great kid and is always caring about everything. I hate when the people feel free to abuse on social media and things like this. I think we don't believe, or you don't believe, we need to stop these kinds of things.
"To abuse the people is so easy and then it's to pay attention of that, also, when these things never happened. Or to give too much attention to the people that want to create this type of situation or mess, or to abuse other people. Please, stop.
"We are all responsible. Who believes the intention of Conor is to ignore a mascot? Come on. It makes me very, very sad because I know Conor and he doesn't deserve to be abused. No-one deserves to be abused but him, come on. I am seeing too many things happening, not only in England, in the rest of the world."
With Chilwell having been ruled out of the Man United fixture, Gallagher will retain the armband for the meeting with the Red Devils.
Darren Plant
