Chelsea News Roundup: Blues star declares himself fit, Tim Sherwood labels summer signing as a liability and more

Chelsea have rediscovered much-needed confidence only a week after Thomas Tuchel's appointment as the club's head coach.

They secured a telling 2-0 victory over Burnley last time out, thanks to goals from skipper Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso.

Tuchel will now be looking to gain the trust of the Chelsea faithful with a win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.

Chelsea's biggest transfer was the dismissal of Frank Lampard and the subsequent appointment of Tuchel. Apart from this, the Blues worked on loan deals and offloaded Lucas Piazon.

The focus will now shift to players and game results ahead of a back-breaking February. On that note, we list the top news stories surrounding Chelsea today.

Also read: Chelsea Transfer News Roundup: Liverpool join race for Blues target, defender joins Brighton on loan, and more - 1 February 2021

Hakim Ziyech declares himself fit for Chelsea ahead of Spurs clash

Hakim Ziyech did not feature against Burnley

Hakim Ziyech has sparked major selection debate with recent comments on his fitness prior to Chelsea's clash against Spurs.

The wily winger was left out of the squad against Burnley as a precautionary measure, according to Tuchel.

نجم نادي #تشيلسي المغربي حكيم زياش يؤكد جاهزيته بنسبة 100% لمواجهة #توتنهام وذلك في لقاء خاص معي قبل قليل تتابعونه قريبا على @beINSPORTS @beINSPORTS_news pic.twitter.com/FVoJlazpn9
— Ibrahim Khadra (@IbrahimKhadra) February 2, 2021

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Much to the delight of Chelsea fans, he has affirmed that he is available to face Spurs. The former AFC Ajax player was deemed fit by beIN Sports correspondent Ibrahim Khadra, who said:

“Ziyech confirms his 100% readiness for a confrontation with Tottenham. And that in a private meeting with me."

Ziyech made a strong start to his Chelsea career in the first couple of games but has not lived up to his billing just as yet.

Also read: Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel makes interesting claim about his 18-month contract

Tim Sherwood feels Chelsea's Havertz is a liability

Chelsea summer signing Kai Havertz has been underwhelming more often than not

Chelsea netted two gorgeous goals against Burnley, albeit from unlikely sources. After the game, Tuchel stated that it should be a lesson for the forwards, one of them being Kai Havertz.

The £71-million signing's season was stalled after he caught the coronavirus, and he has not looked like himself since then.

Tim Sherwood feels Chelsea have to bench him as he is a liability for the team.

📈 pic.twitter.com/NKmZxhWtqz
— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) January 31, 2021

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Sherwood opined:

"It’s difficult to judge Tuchel after two games. The first game against Wolves was boring, even though they had a lot of possession. They were better against Burnley and two of the wing-backs scored so he’s throwing them forward."

He added:

‘I still think he’s got selection problems. I think he was brought in to get the best out of the German boys, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. But at the moment you can’t play Kai Havertz. In my opinion, he’s a liability. He might be a good player in the future but at the moment they’re just carrying him."

Christian Pulisic hints at new role under Thomas Tuchel for Chelsea

Christian Pulisic hinted at how Thomas Tuchel will deploy him in the forthcoming games for Chelsea, stating that he will play as a false nine with the support of advancing full-backs.

Speaking to Chelsea's official website, he said:

“It’s a kind of a false striker. It’s been good so far. We’ve got a new outlook on things, we have had a really good win so it’s been a positive start. It’s been some crazy times recently and just to get a win left all the guys in the changing room really excited."

The Chelsea winger also said that the mood within the group is fantastic despite the recent changes in management.