Tuchel confident Mendy will recover in time from rib injury

Thomas Tuchel is confident that Edouard Mendy can be fit in time for Saturday’s Champions League final against Manchester City.

The goalkeeper was substituted at half time in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday after hurting a rib while colliding with the post in a failed attempt to prevent Bertrand Traore’s opening goal.

The Senegal international has conceded only three goals in his 11 Champions League games since coming over from Rennes, while his teammate Kepa Arrizabalaga has endured a difficult spell since his world-record transfer to Chelsea. But Tuchel was reassured by the scan Mendy underwent and hopes he will be able to train on Wednesday

“Edou will play if he’s fit,” he said. “And if he’s not fit on Wednesday, we will try Thursday, and if not then we will try Friday. We will be reasonable and take responsibility for the decision.

“At the same time, we have trust if he can’t make it. We have a strong guy with Kepa on the bench who would take his place. So the race is on. We are happy the images didn’t show the injury was too serious. He made huge improvement in the management of pain. So we are positive. But every hour and every day counts. Hopefully, the team around Edou and he himself can do enough that he is on the pitch. It would be a good boost for us.”

Tuchel joked that he will not ask his medical staff about N’Golo Kante, who came off in last week’s win over Leicester and sat out the Villa game. “Maybe I will not speak to them so I hear no more doubts,” he smiled. “It looks good and I hope it stays like that.”

Tuchel has overseen two wins over Manchester City already and plans a hat-trick. “I don’t know if it’s an advantage but we are aware of it that we closed the gap to Man City in two games,” he said. “I think it helped us a lot to bond, grow and arrive with self-confidence. Man City are the benchmark in Europe and this league. We are the guys who want to hunt them and close the gap.”