VACC ISSUES VEX THOMAS
THOMAS TUCHEL has admitted for the first time having to consider players’ vaccination status during the transfer window. The Chelsea boss is still out here on the club’s US tour without N’golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-cheek, both of whom have yet to take the Covid vaccine, rendering them unable to travel.
The pair were instead in an Under-23 line-up taking on Boreham Wood on Friday.
Tuchel said: “I knew some players who I would also take without vaccination, I have to say. But yes, it is a part of daily life at the moment.”
Pressed on whether a player’s decision on the vaccine enters his thinking, he added: “Yes, it has to.”
The German has welcomed Kalidou Koulibaly into his squad here in Lasvegas after the £34million Senegal defender signed a four-year Stamford Bridge deal.
Tuchel has also turned his attentions to Sevilla’s France centre-back Jules Kounde with Nathan Ake, now staying at Manchester City.
And the Chelsea boss is continuing to pursue Paris St-germain’s Presnel Kimpembe to complete his defensive options.
But Tuchel admitted any new recruits’ vaccination status must be a factor with Covid cases back the rise across Europe.
Asked about Kante’s pre-season programme, he added: “He is preparing himself with Ruben.we cannot force them to be vaccinated. It is at the moment a very normal decision to get vaccinated.
“Both players took the decision not to.we need to follow the rules.they cannot join us.they know about the consequences.we don’t like it, of course not.
“We would love to have them here and its not an ideal solution, far from it. But once the situation is like this, you need to come up with a solution so they have their coaches there.they train with the Under-23s, then they go with the Under-19s. But it will not compensate. It will not be the same.”
Tuchel has handed Kante a personal programme to prevent a repeat of last season’s injury-plagued campaign. “We can give him a very individual load. I don’t think he needs a long time to adapt to our game because everybody is aware that he is a key player,” he said.
Kante and Italy midfielder Jorginho have just a year left on their contracts and Tuchel said talks had begun with new owner Todd Boehly to ensure both players do not leave for free as Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen did this summer.