Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel provides honest verdict on the need for reinforcements.
According to Evening Standard, Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that Chelsea are looking to dip into the transfer market for reinforcements as they continue to suffer from an injury crisis.
Several of Chelsea’s top players are currently sidelined or have missed a considerable amount of playtime this season. Tuchel is already playing without his two first-choice full-backs. Ben Chilwell has been out since November, and recent surgery has ruled out the possibility of his return for the remainder of the season.
Reece James, meanwhile, suffered an injury setback in the final week of December and could miss over a month of action. This severely handicaps Tuchel’s ability to get the required results week in week out.
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has missed the last match, and Andreas Christensen has also been sidelined. Thomas Tuchel has been pushed to play César Azpilicueta in the right-back position in recent games. So there is a lack of options in the central defence also.
The last month was difficult for Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea suffered setbacks in the league. Dropped points have seen the Blues fall further behind Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title. While the title race could well be up, Chelsea still have an opportunity to do well in cup competitions.
However, Tuchel believes it’d be challenging to compete with top teams with the current injury issue. The German also hinted that Chelsea could be further impacted by their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.
“It is like this, and if you are out for four or five weeks, you can lose 10 or 12 matches. It can be too much.”
Thomas Tuchel emphasized the need for fresh signings in the winter transfer window and suggested that it wouldn’t have been required if they had all the players available.
“It seems like everybody would love to have it. If we had a full squad, I would love to answer this question and say we need nothing. But we have the issue, and that’s why we look into it.”
Thomas Tuchel discussed the possibilities of bringing Palmieri back from loan and suggested that Blues are working to scintillate the move. The German manager also revealed that Chelsea is hunting for new players in the market.
“But given the fact that we have some long-term injuries, we’re looking into the market; we’re looking into some possibilities, not in the very highest pressure.”
Without Chilwell, Marcos Alonso is the lone viable senior option for the left-back position. The Spaniard is ageing and could face difficulty coping with the hectic schedule. On top of that, James will also miss several essential games. Therefore, the full-back position could be the priority when assessing transfer targets.
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Chelsea have been heavily linked with Lucas Digne and several other players for the left-back position. However, Blues should look for short term deals and loan moves. While we can address the long term needs in the summer, it is imperative that someone who can perform right off the bat is brought in until the end of the season.