Thomas Tuchel’s response was brief when addressing team news for Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
“It is a very short update,” the Chelsea boss said, “because it is only Mateo Kovacic we are missing. Everyone else is available and everyone else will be in the squad for tomorrow.”
At the business end of the season, Tuchel will be pleased to have a 24-man squad to choose from when heading to Spain for a third straight European game.
Covid restrictions between England and Portugal saw Chelsea play both of their quarter-final legs with Porto in Seville, and after winning that tie 3-0 on aggregate, Tuchel’s side now face 13-time winners Real for a place in the final.
“The level is so high when you arrive in the semi-final of the Champions League,” Tuchel said. “We should not expect crazy things from us but the same again on the highest level.
“It is a good moment to play this match and we want to play hungry and adventurous. We maybe lack a bit of experience in a semi-final but we can compensate with hunger and enthusiasm.”
Buoyed by their win at West Ham on Saturday – which boosted the Blues’ prospects of finishing in the Premier League top four and dented the Hammers’ hopes in the process – Tuchel must now decide whether any changes are necessary for the match at Real which falls just three days later.
Expected to resume with his fancied 3-4-2-1 formation, the one near-certainty from Tuchel – bar Edouard Mendy starting in goal – is that N’Golo Kante and Jorginho will resume in central midfield in Kovacic’s absence.
Elsewhere, there are difficult decisions to make. Firstly, there is a defensive conundrum with Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Kurt Zouma all vying for three centre-back places.
This tough decision prompted Azpilicueta to start at right wing-back at West Ham, but the Chelsea captain could potentially drop back into the three-man defence if Reece James comes back into the XI.
At left wing-back, Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell have traded starts in the past seven Premier League games, but the latter could have the edge having started both of the games against Porto.
That leaves Tuchel to pick a front three. Mason Mount is likely to start, and given Christian Pulisic started against West Ham, the second leg against Porto, and addressed the media on Monday, the American could also play behind the striker.
That forward is unlikely to be Tammy Abraham or Olivier Giroud, rather Kai Havertz or Timo Werner, who have both played the role in recent matches.
Predicted Chelsea XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Pulisic; Werner
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/32Rh7La
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