Thomas Tuchel hopes that Carlo Ancelotti will be able to manage from the sideline at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea take on Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Italian coach still requires a negative test to fly to London in time for the quarter-final, having been left behind while his squad arrived on Tuesday.
Former Blues boss Ancelotti first tested positive last week and missed the trip to Celta Vigo in La Liga at the weekend, with Davide Ancelloti, Abian Perdomo and Luis Llopis needing to fill the gap. The Italian did not give a press conference ahead of the match with Chelsea.
Tuchel had to undergo a similar experience when he tested positive for Covid-19 in January and missed Chelsea's FA Cup clash with Plymouth Argyle, and the start of the Club World Cup campaign. As a result, the 48-year-old knows a little bit about how teams can cope with the disruption.
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"Nowadays, you are in charge with media, with the help of virtual help, so I'm pretty sure he can do the team talks and be in touch with players," said Tuchel, "But it's always much better and nicer to be there and have direct influence. It's what we as coaches love the most, to be in the middle of the group and constantly communicate not only with words but also with a smile, a hug.
"I hope he still makes it, and I have the information he will try to arrive in the evening. I personally hope he makes it. He's a big, big coach with a big personality. It would be nice to have him on the sideline in these kinds of games."
Also, speaking at Stamford Bridge, Thibaut Courtois did not believe it was a big issue if his coach is unable to travel. The Belgian joked having Ancelotti's son, Davide, among their coaching ranks has helped with some continuity.
The goalkeeper said: "Luckily, his assistant is his son, so it is pretty similar. We know how he wants us to train. He has taken part in some chats via video. Obviously, it is different if he is not here, during pre-game chats or at half-time. But it's not a big problem."
