Thomas Tuchel talks about transfers and injuries ahead of Chelsea vs Leicester City
Speaking in the press conference ahead of Chelsea’s next league game against Leicester City (h/t Football.London), Thomas Tuchel talked about the transfers and gave an update on N’Golo Kante’s injury situation along with the return of Mateo Kovacic.
The Blues manager was asked about whether he wants new signings and what his expectations are from the remaining days of this transfer window. His reply was a mixture of him conveying that the club are looking at different things, while also suggesting that the squad is good enough to win games against teams like Leeds United.
Talking about the team news, Tuchel was happy to see the back of Kovacic in training and confirmed that he is ready to play 20 minutes this weekend. On the other hand, Kante is expected to be out for more than four weeks.
Here’s the manager talking about transfers (h/t Football.London):
It’s not only about shouting for players. The squad was strong enough to win the match at Leeds, and far too strong to lose 3-0. This is where it starts. The transfer window has not changed the opinion much. We have known for weeks what we ideally add to the group.
We have some ideas but maybe nobody comes in. It’s not a long window anymore.
Chelsea welcome Leicester to Stamford Bridge for their next game, with the hope to return back to winning ways. Four points from three games see them occupy 12th spot in the league table, although it is very early days still.
When talking about the situation of Kante and Kovacic, here’s Tuchel (h/t Football.London):
We’re talking about weeks. Four weeks plus (on Kante).
Kova is back in the group and ready to play 20 minutes. We need him long term but it’s good to have him as an option.
Having Kovacic back must be a relief for the manager. The midfield lacked energy and quality against Leeds, and it begged for someone like the Croatian or Kante to come on and make it right.
The slightly good news for the Blues is that as much as their form is wobbly at the moment, Leicester are coming into this game on the back of two consecutive defeats. So, this could just be an ideal game for Tuchel’s team to get back to winning ways and kickstart their season.
More Chelsea News:
- Transfer News: Chelsea in talks to sign Dinamo Moscow midfielder Arsen Zakharyan
- Transfer News: Crystal Palace unlikely to sanction a sale for Chelsea target Wilfried Zaha
- West Ham United are plotting a loan move for Chelsea star Conor Gallagher
Apart from Kante, Chelsea are set to miss Kalidou Koulibaly for this particular game after his red card against Leeds. The Senegal international will be back for the coming game against Southampton.