Thomas Tuchel has confirmed the injuries of Timo Werner, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Ross Barkley and Cesar Azpilicueta following Chelsea's pre-season clash with Charlotte FC. The quartet were not included in the matchday squad as the Blues lost on penalties to the MLS side.
Speaking to football.london, Tuchel explained why each of the four players in question were absent amid growing suspicions that they all face an uncertain future in west London. The Chelsea boss began by outlining why Werner was out of the frame and said: "Hamstring problems, and we didn't take the risk."
He then addressed the absence of Arrizabalaga, Barkley and Azpilicueta, detailing why he wasn't willing to take a risk with the Premier League restart just two weeks away. Tuchel said: "Kepa has some pain that disturbs him to feel free in his movements. Azpi had a big knock above his knee in his muscle. He ran into Edou, It was a training accident.
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"If it was a Premier League match, we would've taken the risk, but the risk was too big that maybe he takes another hit and is maybe three or four days, and it was not worth it.
"Ross feels his hamstrings for some days, same as Timo. The risk of having injuries, even though it's more discomfort, it's more important they stay in training than to risk it in a game and to have a longer period of injury that we don't want."
Coincidentally or not, they've each been heavily linked with exits from Stamford Bridge this summer. But, that shouldn't stop Todd Boehly from executing his Premier League plan. As quoted by Sport Bible last month, a senior source at the club has said that Chelsea's new owners are eager to work closely with Tuchel in a bid to close the gap with runaway title contenders Manchester City and Liverpool.
They said: "The key is to basically work with Tuchel to come up with the best players that are available. We really want to make sure we have a good defence. We've got depth in midfield. We're not desperate for an out-and-out striker.
"Fortunately, there are reasonable opportunities in the market right now in order to satisfy the fans' desire to be competitive. I think it's a combination of moves, and there's five or six that we're going to look to make."
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