Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has been
addressing the media ahead of Saturday’s clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst
Park, with the fitness of Christian Pulisic a key topic
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has outlined his plans for winger
Christian Pulisic after he was dropped to the substitutes bench against FC
Porto on Wednesday evening.
USA international, who officially joined the Blues from
Borussia Dortmund in January 2019, was named amongst the substitutes against
the Portuguese side after suffering a hamstring injury in last weekend’s shock
5-2 home reverse to West Bromwich Albion.
Pulisic was forced off at half-time to
manage the problem, but had found himself on the scoresheet prior to suffering
his latest injury setback.
Injury woes have been a continuous trend for the former
Dortmund star this season, limiting him to just 30 appearances in all
competitions.
But despite suffering a fresh hamstring blow against the
Baggies, Pulisic was in a strong enough condition to climb off the bench and
play the remaining 25 minutes of the contest in midweek, which saw the Blues
run out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell.
Now, ahead of the Blues’ clash with Crystal Palace at
Selhurst Park tomorrow teatime, Tuchel has issued an update on the state of
Pulisic’s fitness, confirming that the club needs to “take care” of him and not
overload him and running the risk of him getting injured once again.
“His fitness is always important
because he has a huge impact with sprint and intensity at the highest level,”
Tuchel said during his pre-match press conference on Friday lunchtime. “It’s
one of his biggest strengths but he needs to feel confident and calm neatly.
“Then he can be a huge weapon for us. He scored against West
Brom but the overall game and his need to go off at half time clouded the goal
and impact he had but now against he was very close to scoring.
“He can have a huge impact from the bench. We have to take
care of him, hopefully he won’t be re-injured. I feel him getting stronger and
more confident.
“He can be a decisive factor with his speed, ability to
dribble and arrive in the box from dangerous situations.
“Hopefully he can have that impact. It’s our job to push him
there.”
In what has been a stop-start season for the USA
international, he has netted three goals in all competitions, as well as
claiming two assists. His biggest frustration, however, is likely to be a lack
of Premier League starts this term. To date, he has started just 12 league
games this season, with only two of those coming under Tuchel.
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