Tuchel: We can’t make players get the vaccine

CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel insists coronavirus vaccination remains a personal choice and he cannot tell his players to get jabbed after N’Golo Kante tested positive, ruling him out of tonight’s game with Juventus.

Tuchel revealed Kante is isolating having missed training yesterday ahead of the Champions League tie.

The midfielder (right) will also sit out Saturday’s Premier League clash with Southampton and his participation in France’s Nations League clash with Belgium on October 7 could be in doubt.

Although it is not known if Kante has been vaccinated, the news again highlights the issue of footballers being jabbed and, asked whether he knew how many of his squad had received the vaccine, Tuchel said: ‘I don’t know the percentage.

‘It’s not even that I don’t want to tell you, I simply don’t know it.

‘We are also only a reflection of society, the players are adults and it’s free choice if they want to get vaccinated or not. I think we should accept it.’

The German said he had been fully vaccinated but that it was not his place to tell anyone else to follow his lead. ‘I took the decision for myself,’ he added.

‘But I don’t really see myself in a position to speak (about) recommendations, I think that would go too far. We are not now angry with N’Golo, of course not – we are concerned about him and worried about him.’

England manager Gareth Southgate said he had received more abuse for a video he made encouraging young people to get vaccinated than he did for his management of the team at Euro 2020. But that would not worry Tuchel.

‘I am absolutely not afraid of having bad reactions,’ he insisted.

‘If I am convinced about something, I will speak out publicly but I’m a football coach. I have a lot to do and I am a father so I have enough to do.’

The European champions face the first major test of their reign in Italy against a Juve side who have just three wins in seven games in all competitions this term since Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Manchester United.

Tuchel says, naturally, his men cannot expect to be dark horses like they were last season. ‘It’s hard to be seen as an underdog when you just won the title,’ he added. ‘Now it is of course easy to make us the favourites. It’s our fault: we have won this competition.’

Christian Pulisic, Reece James and Mason Mount miss out with injury at the Juventus Stadium.

We are only a reflection of society and the players are adults so it’s free choice