Thomas Tuchel has been left to rue his decision to drop Mateo Kovacic in Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final clash against Real Madrid. The 27-year-old, who despite his spritely displays this season, was relegated to the bench and made way for a double pivot of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.
The duo struggled to get a hold of the bout, and while their efforts didn't entirely contribute towards Los Blancos' demolition of the Blues, Kovacic's absence was undoubtedly felt. Kante made way for the Croatia international at half-time, though Eduoard Mendy's harrowing mistake just moments into the second-half tarnished the midfielder's glaring impact.
While there was an obvious improvement to the west London side's performance in the second-half, Kovacic's omission left a sour taste on proceedings. Tuchel showered the midfielder with praise in the pre-match press conference and labelled him a 'wonderkid' who soared to superstardom in recent years.
