Tuchel explains Chelsea selection against Everton

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has explained his team selection against Everton. 

The Blues suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the relegation-threatened Toffees in yet another match they couldn’t find the net despite controlling possession for long periods. 

Ruben Loftus-Cheek replaced N’Golo Kante in the only change from Thursday’s clash at Old Trafford, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.

The German tactician decided to stick with the front three that played at Old Trafford, with Romelu Lukaku benched. 

Speaking minutes before kickoff, Tuchel said; 

“He went off at Old Trafford after 80 minutes & still has pain,” he said in reference to Kante. “A minor injury. Hopefully, he’s back in the next match but not today. Loftus-Cheek comes in because we were happy with the performance and how we played.

“We don’t have a midweek match during the next week so there is no need for bigger changes.”

Richarlison scored the lone goal of the match two minutes after the restart, capitalising on a Cesar Azpilicueta mistake to slot home past Edouard Mendy. 

The Blues will next host Wolves knowing a win will be enough to send them to the Champions League next season.