Tuchel insists Sunday training stint was not punishment for Blues

Thomas Tuchel has attempted to draw his Chelsea squad tighter together after adding an extra day’s training on Sunday.

Tuchel cancelled the players’ day off on Sunday, bringing the first-team squad into the Cobham training ground for extra sessions following the 2-2 Premier League draw with Wolves.

The German coach insisted the extra day’s work was the opposite of a punishment, however, calling on the Blues to draw strength from the collective amid a run featuring just one win from five league games.

Tuchel dismissed suggestions of a fallout with Marcos Alonso despite rowing with the Spanish left-back during the Wolves clash, with the 31-year-old then substituted at half-time as Chelsea switched formation.

The Blues surrendered a 2-0 second-half lead for a galling draw with Wolves, with boss Tuchel now calling on his players to close ranks.

Asked about any issues with Alonso, Tuchel replied: “It started and ended in the first half, and was not continued at half-time or anything else.

“We came in on Sunday, we’d planned a free day but after the disappointment it was not even to punish them.

“It was normally a free day and of course maybe some felt it was a punishment but it wasn’t.

“It’s not the moment for a free day, I explained to them, it’s better to be together and talk about it than to go, everybody has his own opinion and everybody has his own truth, maybe it’s more risk to be in fragments than in here.

“So we did very light training, just had a run together and spent time together discussing things, how we want to approach the next days.”

Chelsea will head to Leeds tonight, bidding to get back to winning ways and move closer to a third-placed Premier League finish.

Jorginho and N’golo Kante face a race against time to be fit for the Elland Road trip after knocks.

Tuchel admitted Chelsea’s draining season continues to take a toll on his players, with the weekend’s FA Cup final against Liverpool moving ever closer into view.

“We look a bit drained, tired mentally, this is understandable given the circumstances around the club in which we play in,” said Tuchel.

“This is draining, this is challenging. We had some knockout games in which we play after the national break, with huge emotional input, huge emotions to deal with.

“From losing to Real Madrid, winning at Real Madrid, losing the Champions League then suddenly being at Wembley and then suddenly in the race in two weeks with four matches against different teams in the league.

“It is quite challenging. After all we have a lot of matches in our legs.

“I think everybody knows it, we can even feel it and still with being tired, distracted, maybe concerned, we need to reach a certain level, which is still possible.”

Thomas Tuchel during the 2-2 draw with Wolves.