Throughout his Chelsea tenure, it's been very difficult to second-guess Thomas Tuchel over the starting XI he will select come matchday. And it's become nearly impossible over the past four weeks as the German coach has started to move away from his tried and trusted 3-4-2-1 shape.
The reasons for Tuchel's unpredictability are myriad. For one, he has a large squad and understands the importance of rotation to keep players happy and fresh. Then there are injuries, an inevitability during an arduous campaign. And this term the Chelsea head coach has dealt with the randomness that is Covid.
Across all competitions, Tuchel has used 32 different players. A few are talented youngsters handed rare first-team minutes – Harvey Vale and Lewis Hall, for example – and two are no longer at the club: Kurt Zouma, who played in the UEFA Super Cup before joining West Ham, and Emerson Palmieri, who made a late cameo against Crystal Palace prior to his loan to Lyon.
