Thomas Tuchel insists he is not happy about the defensive issues plaguing Chelsea.
According to the club’s official website, Thomas Tuchel has provided the early injury update on Chelsea trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount ahead of their clash against LOSC Lille tomorrow. Their availability could prove to be crucial as the Blues gear up to face them in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 ties.
Azpilicueta and Hudson-Odoi suffered last-minute injuries ahead of their 1-0 win against Crystal Palace in the Premier League. Mount, however, endured a setback to his ligaments during the Club World Cup final. Thomas Tuchel has given his thoughts on their recovery with the clash against Ligue 1 holders in mind.
Speaking to the club’s media (h/t Chelsea official website), Tuchel expressed feeling more “confident’ about the skipper and the winger and their possibility of making it in the matchday squad. However, he does not expect Mount to make it in time for the first leg fixture.
“We try to get them fit for Tuesday. Azpi has some groin problems and felt a pain in the last action of Thursday’s training. Callum tried in training on Friday but also felt some pain around the Achilles. It’s a bit of inflammation and the pain was too strong.”
The Spaniard’s return to contention will be crucial to our game plan as we do not have backups in the right-wingback position. Reece James will only return to first-team training today, which leaves us thin in that area. If the captain also fails to make it in time, someone has to deputise in a makeshift role.
Let’s hope that is not the case, as it would only hinder us in the process. That being said, Hudson-Odoi could bring in some much-needed decisiveness in the attacking area. He had been receiving more playing time and seemed to be improving with each game before the injury halted his progression.
The 21-year-old could be crucial to our chances of victory, considering the struggles the attack has gone through recently. As for Mount, his potential absence can be dealt with for now due to the availability of adequate cover in that area. Since the boss does not believe he can recover in time, it is best that we permit him to recover completely.
Let’s wait and see if the German coach would give more updates on the Blues trio in the build-up to the knockout clash. That would give us a clearer idea about who could be in contention to feature in the Champions League game.
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