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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that the duo of Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen will not feature in the Blues' Premier League clash against Arsenal due to their respective injuries. The London derby between the two arch-rivals will be played at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, May 12.
Chelsea still have a lot to play for this season. The Thomas Tuchel-managed side are in the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League finals, and are in contention to finish in the Premier League top-four as well. Arsenal, on the other hand, are all but out of contention to finish in one of the European spots.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Chelsea v Arsenal encounter, Tuchel confirmed that Kovacic and Christensen aren't fit to face the Gunners but could play in the FA Cup final against Leicester City on Saturday, May 15.
"Kova isn't ready for tomorrow. The personal race is on to try to make it to Wembley. Andreas' was better than we feared. We hope he'll be back for one of the two Leicester games. It will be a tough one but the season isn't finished for him hopefully.
"We were a bit relieved yesterday when the images were given and they weren’t what we expected. We have realistic hopes the season isn’t finished and that’s very important,” Tuchel said.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 'will always be my player' - Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of Arsenal clash
The Chelsea manager also opened up on his relationship with Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese was managed by Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund from 2015 to 2017, following which the German manager moved to Paris Saint-Germain while Aubameyang joined Arsenal.
"Back in the days at Dortmund, it was a pure pleasure to have him in the squad. Auba was a fantastic striker, a fantastic finisher on the pitch. But, more than that, he was a fantastic worker off the pitch," Tuchel said.
"I think he did not miss one single training in two years. Maybe he arrived five minutes late on the training ground, that can happen with him! But if he does this, he is in a hurry, he feels sorry, he still has a smile on his face.
"It was a very reliable relationship because he delivered an unbelievable amount of goals, his speed was unique in the Bundesliga and he was a crucial player. A bit of a crazy guy, but nice crazy.
"We still are in touch and exchange messages when one of us has a big win. In some ways, he will still always be my player, so I want him to succeed and have a good time wherever he is.
"This contact never fully stopped and it's nice to see him because he's always on for a hug and it's nice to see him laugh. But, of course, we want to stop him and there is no exchange now before the game," the Chelsea manager added.
