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Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has cast doubt on his side's preparations for the new season of the Premier League after a loss to Arsenal on Saturday, July 23.
The Blues lost 4-0 to the Gunners in the Florida Cup final, prompting a frustrated Tuchel to draw comparisons between his Chelsea side and their London rivals.
In a press conference after the game (h/t Football.London), the German manager was asked if his team would be ready for the start of the Premier League season. He replied by saying:
"I can not guarantee. I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match."
Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen have left the club this summer as free agents, while Romelu Lukaku is back at Inter Milan on a season-long loan. Apart from the trio, there could still be more departures at Stamford Bridge.
Both Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta have been linked with a move to Barcelona, while Timo Werner is seeking an exit in search of more playing time.
Tuchel went on to question the mental commitment of his team following the game, especially of those players who could leave the club this summer. He added:
"Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options. We have players that have left and I think at the moment that's obvious."
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel praised Kalidou Koulibaly following Arsenal loss
Although a lot went wrong on Saturday for Chelsea, Kalidou Koulibaly's performance was a silver lining. The Senegalese centre-back signed for the Blues for a fee in the region of £33 million this summer.
He did not start the game against Mikel Arteta's side but came on to replace Emerson Palmieri to make his pre-season debut. Koulibaly was solid for most of the game and Tuchel praised the former Napoli defender for his efforts.
He said:
"He was the best player on the pitch for us. On an evening where nothing felt good, this felt very good."
Chelsea's pre-season concludes against Udinese on July 29 in Udine. A week later, their Premier League campaign will commence with a game against Everton at Goodison Park.
It remains to be seen if Koulibaly will be handed his competitive debut against the Toffees. If the Blues don't manage to sign another defender by then, Tuchel may not have any other option but to start the 31-year-old centre-back.
