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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has suggested that star midfielder Jorginho has sacrificed himself for the team. The Italian international has struggled to impress in recent outings for the Blues but Tuchel has defended his trusted midfield general.
During Chelsea's pre-match press conference ahead of their midweek Premier League clash against rivals Arsenal, Tuchel was asked about the form of the 30-year-old.
The German tactician claimed that Jorginho's sacrifice for the team has resulted in a dip in his form. The German manager also opened up on how difficult it has been for the midfielder to live up to expectations after his European Championship triumph with Italy.
The 48-year-old said, as quoted by Football.London:
"He sacrificed for the team and I think you see it now. There are so many demands and after a big success, like winning the Euros, he felt the pressure.
"This is normal and sometimes after big success it is difficult to keep on going and going."
Tuchel has admitted that he has overused the former Napoli midfielder and that has drained the 30-year-old.
"He put the responsibility on his shoulders and always does. That is why I love him. We see we overused him and I feel we see the consequences of that. He is not at his freshest moment at the minute."
Jorginho has been a victim of his own success at Chelsea
Jorginho enjoyed an absolutely phenomenal last season for both club and country. The midfielder played a key role for Chelsea as they went on to win the Champions League.
The Blues also won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup this season while finishing runners-up in the FA Cup last season. They also reached the final of the EFL Cup, only to be beaten by Liverpool.
The 30-year-old also played an instrumental role for Roberto Mancini's Italy side as they won the Euros last summer.
The midfielder has played a total of 41 games this season, totalling 3037 minutes for the Blues. The midfield dynamo has not missed a single match through injury during the entire campaign and hardly had a rest. He also went through a grueling World Cup qualifying campaign with Italy, where the Azzurri lost in the playoffs.
Playing so much has certainly taken a toll on the performance levels of the Italian and it's understandable. The Chelsea number five desperately needs a rest in order to regain his freshness and Tuchel clearly understands that.
