CHELSEA boss Thomas Tuchel has re-assured striker Tammy Abraham he was not being ‘punished’ after failing to make their squad for the clash with Manchester United.
Tuchel, whose Blues side played out a dull goalless draw with the Red Devils at the weekend, left the English forward out of his 18-man squad for the game at Stamford Bridge.
Abraham was not a part of Chelsea’s matchday squad for their game against Manchester UnitedCredit: EPA
And while Abraham was overlooked despite being fit and available for selection, Tuchel has played down any talk of him being left out in the cold.
Speaking on Wednesday, the German said: “He lacks a little bit of luck, Tammy, not only in games but also in training.
“Once the last touch comes back, and he’s fighting for it now, he will stay a player that we will push for.
“It’s my job to push him to his limits and we will not stop doing this.
“We have to cut it [matchday squad] down to 18 players, so in the end it’s not always a punishment or a signal to a player who is not in the squad.
“And in this case it was exactly like this. It was not a punishment or a signal – it was just a choice from the alternatives.”
Abraham is Chelsea’s top scorer in all competitions so far this season with 12, six of which have come in the Premier League.
Olivier Giroud (11) and Timo Werner (10) are the only other Chelsea players to reach double figures so far in the campaign.
Tuchel has been praised for organising the Blues into a defensively solid side since coming in for Frank Lampard, with his team having conceded just two goals in nine games.
However, they also struggled to create many chances against Man Utd and will be hoping they can penetrate a little more when they face champions Liverpool tomorrow.
