https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2022/02/18/
tuchel-s-premier-league-press-conference-ahead-of-crystal-palace
Tuchel on fitness of Mount and James, how Havertz can improve even more
and remaining season ambitions
18 Feb 2022
Thomas Tuchel has revealed that Mason Mount is pushing for a return to
fitness for the Carabao Cup final next weekend, while Reece James
continues to make steady progress in his comeback from a longer-term
muscle injury.
https://i.imgur.com/KxjghoZ.jpg
The update was provided by the Blues boss at his customary Friday press
conference from Cobham, during which he also told reporters assembled via
video link on Zoom that Ruben Loftus-Cheek was back available after
missing our trip to Abu Dhabi.
Having been crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions last weekend, Chelsea
are back in domestic action tomorrow with a local trip to Crystal Palace,
our first Premier League outing for almost four weeks.
Mount will be missing after coming off early in last Saturday's triumph
over Palmeiras, while James is still yet to return to team training with
the group after missing the past 10 games with a hamstring strain suffered
against Brighton in late December.
'We will push for the League Cup final,' Tuchel said of Mount's recovery.
'He has injured ligaments in the very first minutes of the [Club World
Cup] final unfortunately.
https://i.imgur.com/e9lf31r.jpg
Mount was injured early in the Club World Cup final
'The Champions League seems to be very, very close,' he added on the
midfielder's prospects of facing Lille in our last-16 first leg tie at
Stamford Bridge next week.
James's return is likely to be a little longer as the defender continues
to train alone, though Tuchel hopes he can be back with the group next
week…
'We had a little setback because he caught the flu in the moment where he
was very close to rejoining team training so this was a setback.
'Of course, it's too long for Reece and for all of us,' stated the boss.
'We miss him a lot. I had the feeling right from the very start that we
had to deal with a big injury and unfortunately my feeling was right.
https://i.imgur.com/iqKdVwc.jpg
James has been in individual training and even flew out to Abu Dhabi last
week
'You always have a risk with a very physical player like Reece and a big
muscle injury, that you have to consider there is a delay with the
comeback, which is where we are right now.
'He's still in individual training, progressing a lot and doing almost
everything you can do in individual training and we're waiting for him.
The plan is that he rejoins the group next week.'
Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, is available for selection against a side he
spent the 2017/18 with on loan…
'He had problems at his Achilles, a separate issue from before, but it was
very painful with some inflammation. It was not a big injury but painful,
which held him back from being on the pitch.
https://i.imgur.com/FSdPLHI.jpg
洛夫图斯奇克在因跟腱问题缺席几周后恢复健康
'Since we got back from Abu Dhabi he's been very strong and I can see that
he feels free. He had an excellent training week and is available for the
game.'
Asked about Kai Havertz's progress this season, Tuchel gave a
comprehensive answer on where the forward has improved and what more he
can do…
'If we isolate the goalscoring, maybe we can say we expect more and he
expects more for sure but in consistency, in terms of what he's giving to
the team, he's stepped up already and he is pretty consistent.
'We can see a lot of intensity and physicality in his game. He has already
stepped up from the beginning of this season in training and when he
plays. He's tougher to play, more physical and is more involved. He relies
more on his strengths, which is his body and runs without the ball, and
he's more focused on this.
https://i.imgur.com/86DG3YA.jpg
Havertz celebrates his winning goal in the Club World Cup final
'I think he's in the process of being even more reliable and more
consistent. Of course, he's an offensive player with the ability to score
and we want more goals so in this part of the game he can improve by being
more clinical and more precise.
'He can use his technique a bit better in shooting so there are aspects of
the game where there is still space to develop because he's also still
young, but he's now stepped up twice in big matches and crucial moments,
which can only be good for his development.'
Finally, the boss gave his thoughts on our remaining targets this season,
with the team still fighting on four fronts…
'Sixteen points [behind leaders Man City] sounds too much and is too much
to where we want to be and what we demand of ourselves but it's the
reality and a realistic approach is also necessary.
'We should not get confused in thinking about winning the Premier League
and still we have to realise that we are in a race for the top four right
now, which is a huge thing in the Premier League in general.
'At the end of the season you can look back and think about the reason why
it's like this and try to do stuff better. Of course you can also do stuff
within the season to try to improve and this is what we do but right now
the focus has to be on a realistic approach that we are in a race for top
four.'