Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ‘worried’ by Ben Chilwell injury after Juventus rout
The full-back hobbled off with a knee injury, as did midfielder N’Golo Kante
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Thomas Tuchel has admitted fears over Ben Chilwell’s knee injury in Chelsea’s 4-0 Champions League demolition of Juventus
Chilwell and N’Golo Kante hobbled out of Chelsea’s thumping of Juventus at Stamford Bridge, with both picking up knee concerns.
Chelsea boss Tuchel admitted hoping for the best on both counts, but conceded England wing-back Chilwell has the more concerning complaint.
Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner struck to sink sorry Juventus, who were unable to live with the rampant Blues.
Now Chelsea will be left to sweat on France midfielder Kante and England star Chilwell’s availability for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.
When quizzed on Chilwell’s injury, Tuchel replied: “Yes, it worries me because he has been in such a fantastic moment, like Reece James on the other side.
“They have both been in the best shape they could possibly be, so full of confidence and playing with such quality.
“He (Chilwell) was in a lot of pain at the time on the pitch; now he feels a little better but he will have examinations tomorrow. Hopefully we will get away with not too bad news.
“And it’s a similar situation with N’Golo Kante, who twisted his knee a little bit, but hopefully it’s not too bad for N’Golo.”
Defending champions Chelsea secured safe passage to the knockout phase with their hefty win over Juventus.
Bullish wing-back James became Chelsea’s outright top scorer with his fifth goal of the season, to add to five assists so far this term.
Chelsea’s first three goals were scored by academy graduates, with the club’s Cobham youth set-up continuing to produce the goods for the first team.
Delighted German boss Tuchel insisted the homegrown element of Chelsea’s squad boast a crucial role in the current success.
“The crowd loves it when the academy players score and I’m absolutely convinced that everybody loves it,” said Tuchel.
“This is what makes this team special, not only the superstars from abroad but also the guys from the academy, who are full of quality and very humble. It’s their biggest dream to perform at Stamford Bridge and to be part of a strong Chelsea team.
“It’s so nice to see them part of it, it’s another excellent day for the academy, and full credit to them.
“It’s a pleasure to have these boys and I strongly believe it’s a huge part of the success, to have this mix between homegrown talents and top players.
“It was a very strong performance. We had to be patient but at the same time be responsible for the rhythm and the intensity.
“We had to take care of the details, when to accelerate the game. It was a great performance from everybody, so full credit to the players.
“To score so many goals against a team who defend so well is an amazing achievement.
“It’s important that we enjoy this, but also that we do not get carried away.”
Frustrated Juve boss Max Allegri admitted his side wound up second best in west London, but refused to put the boot into his players.
“Chelsea are champions of Europe and a very strong team,” said Allegri.
“We had a good first half but were punished after that.
“I’m not angry, but in the second half we could have done better.”