N’Golo Kante missed the weekend defeat at Aston Villa, while Edou Mendy was forced out of game due to a rib injury at half-time.
He was then replaced by Kepa Arrizabalaga. Tuchel confirmed that if Mendy is fit, then he will start in Porto, this was in the first of two pre-match conferences he will hold this week.
“The situation has not changed with N’Golo in the sense we are still waiting, but it is looking good that he will return to training on Wednesday. I feel like maybe my tactic with him will change, and I will just put him into training on Wednesday! He is looking good and I hope he stays like that for Saturday. We will know more on Wednesday”, Tuchel said.
“With Edou, the update is that we still have hope that he will join in with training on Wednesday with the group. If he is fit, then Edou will play. We will give him plenty of chance to prove his fitness on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The race is on” the manager of the blues maintained.
“If he cannot play, we will of course be sensible and not take the risk but we also know that we have strong competition from the guys behind and Kepa will take his place if he is not fit” he further stated.
Tuchel added that the players will enjoy a day off tomorrow before getting back to work on Wednesday and also before travelling to Portugal for the champions league final.
“Now is the time for a mental break for the players, I will use tomorrow to think about how we approach the game on Saturday” the head coach said.
“The players need a little bit of mental rest but we will be back on Wednesday. I want them to be here on Wednesday full of joy. It’s maybe one of their most exciting weeks as professional players and we need to embrace the challenge ahead” he concluded.
Filed By: Agaatorne Douglas Asaah/awakenewsroom.com
