JAKARTA - Chelsea will undergo week 18 of the 2021/2022 Premier League by visiting Wolves headquarters on Sunday, December 18. However, the match was forced to be carried out by the Blues with a makeshift squad because the team was hit by the COVID-19 storm.
Because of that situation, Chelsea's results are not optimal. After struggling 90 minutes at the opponent's cage, the Blues could only close the game with a score of 0-0 glasses.
This condition made Thomas Tuchel very disappointed. Not only because of the result, the coach was also disappointed with the decision of the competition organizers to keep holding the match.
Thomas' thoughts on a point at Molineux. #WolChe
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 19, 2021
Whereas previously, Tuchel had submitted a request for the match to be postponed considering the state of the team's player crisis. But in reality, the request was ignored and the game must go on.
"We have applied not to play and tried to control the situation, and the request was rejected," said Tuchel told the BBC.
"I'm worried from a medical point of view, we went through four days of tests in a row. How can it stop if we are on the same bus and the same meeting? We feel disappointed, a little angry," he continued.
Prior to the match against Wolves, Chelsea had confirmed four important players, namely Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Callum Hudson-Odoi, were infected with COVID-19. It did not stop there, several other unnamed players also tested positive.
With that situation, Tuchel had to strategize with makeshift players. Worse, Tuchel even had to play Trevoh Chalobah who was actually a defender to fill the midfield. N'Golo Kante, who is still not recovering, was forced to play Tuchel in this match.
The condition of the bench is no less worrisome. When facing Wolves, Tuchel could only provide six substitute players. Even two of them are goalkeepers, Marcus Betttinelli and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
"It is very difficult to understand, we are worried about the health of the players. We have to play with players who have just recovered from injury and we have to take risks," said Tuchel.
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