Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel expresses concern for player health amid tough schedule, says "this cannot be the right way"
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has taken another dig at the Premier League's FA after watching his side win against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Chelsea came from behind to beat the Villans 3-1 at Villa Park, inspired by two penalties from Jorginho and a header from Romelu Lukaku.
It was their first league win in three matches but celebrations were muted due to the health and safety concerns of the players, according to Tuchel. He said:
"It was a big reaction and win but I am always concerned for the health and safety of the players. That is why you don’t see me fully excited. We could catch huge momentum with this win but the only thing we are doing is checking which players can be pushed. It is pretty challenging."
The Chelsea boss added:
"We are taking huge risks. We were forced to play Callum Hudson-Odoi for 90 minutes straight after he recovered from Covid-19 due to injuries. Who decided that? They make us play. We play two more cup games. We play against teams with games postponed. This cannot be the right way."
With COVID-19 cases on the rise in the UK once again, many of the recent games have been postponed, causing a lot of disruption. But the FA have shown no indication of pausing the league at the moment.
Tuchel Angry on Rushing Players Back🗣 [@footballdaily] #cfc https://t.co/7iODDt1e6F
The Chelsea boss has thereby urged the association to at least increase the number of substitutes to five changes per game. He thinks it could ease the pressure on the teams playing through these tough times.
"Five substitutes was brought in at the end of the 2019-20 season because of coronavirus. Europe has a winter break but we play through and put it on the players’ shoulders. They make us play all the time even if we have Covid. We have new injuries and it won’t stop. People at the green table, in offices, make these decisions. It’s not fair today."
Chelsea are in action against Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday in their final Premier League game of the year.
Why Tuchel's concerns about Chelsea are genuine
Chelsea produced a fine second-half display to overcome a spirited Villa side but it was a pyrrhic victory for them. N'Golo Kante and Thiago Silva went off with knocks, piling more injury concerns on Tuchel as both are now doubtful for Wednesday's clash.
Despite the increasing number of positive COVID-19 cases in the league, the FA remains determined to continue with the season. However, Chelsea have been having a tough season with regards to injuries. They have had over 11 players injured, some multiple times, this season.
The Blues could do with a break from the relentless football they have to play in the coming weeks.
Tuchel confirms Kante (knee) and Silva (hamstring) went off with injuries. Says Kante was in a lot of pain and it's the same problem as the one he suffered v Juventus. Both unlikely to play v Brighton at the very least. More bad news for #CFC. #AVLCHE