Thomas Tuchel says he is not interested if Timo Werner is unhappy about his lack of game time at Chelsea and refuses to have “endless” discussions with players.
Chelsea host Southampton on Saturday on the back of successive 1-0 defeats by Manchester City and Juventus plus reports that Germany striker Werner is seeking a January exit.
Tuchel insisted the latter problem was so low on his list of priorities it would not even make the agenda.
“Why should I speak with Timo or any player about expectations?” he said. “It would be endless. He needs to focus and nobody, I’m pretty sure, promised he plays every single minute no matter what.
“He is a healthy, young guy who has the best job in the world in one of the best clubs in the world.
“There is no reason to be frustrated but there are a hundred reasons to be happy. Be spot on in training and fight for your place, that’s the situation for everybody.”
Werner, a £47.5million signing under Frank Lampard in June 2020, has been pushed out of the team by Romulu Lukaku’s £97.5million arrival.
Tuchel made five substitutions in Turin but explained that leaving Werner on the bench was a tactical decision based on Juventus’ space-consuming low press rather than a lack of faith in his ability.
Fellow German Kai Havertz has clocked up more minutes in an attacking midfield role but nonetheless failed to convince his manager fully since scoring the winning goal in last season’s Champions League final.
“I’m not shy of saying we expected to see more,” Tuchel said. “Nobody is angry at him but once you play for Chelsea, we want the best out of you.”
Even Lukaku, who began his second spell at Stamford Bridge with four goals in his first four games is beginning to feel the strain having been shut out in his last four outings.
Tuchel bristled at the suggestion by former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who was the striker’s manager at Inter Milan last season, that the Blues have yet to work out how to get the best out of him.
Lukaku’s main problem is that opponents are now swamping him with defenders, and Tuchel has vowed to get round that one way or another.
“I can see it but it is not a Romelu Lukaku problem,” he said. “The other teams have changed their structure to close down Romelu but there are solutions to this. We are on it.”
Not quite on it, it seems, is Gareth Southgate, who picked Reece James for his latest England squad even though the defender is injured and currently undergoing hydrotherapy.
“When I saw it I thought that maybe he was going with the water polo team for England because right now he trains in the pool,” Tuchel joked. “I was a bit surprised, but I understood that he was selected for the football team.
“My latest information is that he will not go so it can only be a misunderstanding.”
Mason Mount is available again following injury and has also been picked for England duty. Fellow midfielder N’Golo Kante is still recovering from Covid but is “in a good way”, according to Tuchel.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3a1cSQZ
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