Thomas Tuchel will not be on the touchline for Chelsea's game with Leicester City on Saturday. Although that does not mean he will not be in the stadium, with the German likely to be in the East Stand not very far away at all.
Tuchel appealed against his touchline ban for his altercation after the final whistle with Tottenham boss Antonio Conte, but saw that appeal rejected by the Football Association. He will therefore not be able to prowl the touchline for the game with the Foxes.
The German was less than impressed that he received a ban and Tottenham's Conte did not. Speaking during his pre-match press conference, before the appeal had been rejected, he said: "What’s hard to accept is the context. I don’t think I started the aggression, it started earlier. I don’t think I was the only person involved; we both got a red card.
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"A player pulled another player by its hair two minutes earlier. He can play on, he is not banned. For a firm handshake at the end of the match, one coach is banned. This is very hard to accept but I have accept it. Putting it into context, I cannot understand."
Does that give Leicester an upper hand? That remains to be seen, but without Tuchel there to instruct his players, who will be in the technical area barking out orders to the Chelsea players?
Well it's not quite as easy as looking to the assistant head coach, because Tuchel has two. It remains to be seen whether one will take the lead or if both will shout instructions to the players, but Zsolt Low and Arno Michels are Tuchel's two trusted steeds in the dugout.
Low has been the one to take on media duties in the past and has been the man in the dugout for games when Tuchel has not been around before, suggesting he will take the lead with the team, but we will have to wait and see when it comes to 3pm. Whatever happens, you can be sure the team will have Tuchel's imprint on it and he will be involved in the background, making sure his plans and his feelings are filtered down to the players on the pitch.
Tuchel does not think his absence will have an effect on the players, or any preparation for the game. He added: "I think I can do the same as always: arrive in the stadium, be in the changing room for sure. I cannot be on the sideline it seems, but we need to wait for the final answer because we responded to the written charge. I think I can be not on the sideline but in the dressing room and at half-time."
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