Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel provides Hakim Ziyech injury update and team news for Crystal Palace

Thomas Tuchel has revealed Hakim Ziyech will be out for two weeks with a shoulder injury but crucially the Chelsea star does not require surgery.

The Moroccan exited the Uefa Super Cup in a sling after scoring the opener against Villarreal in Belfast.

And although the 28-year-old will miss the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Tuchel delivered positive news on his diagnosis.

“Hakim will miss the game for sure because of his injury. It will be treated conservatively,” Tuchel said. “The situation is we don’t need surgery, which is very good news for this kind of problem.

“We hope it will continue like this and he will be back on the pitch within the next two weeks. We hope this, we cannot promise, but this is what we hope.”

There was bad news surrounding the condition of N’Golo Kante though, who is now a doubt for the match against the Eagles following a reaction midweek.

“We have some issues with N’Golo Kante,” Tuchel said. “We need to sort it out, it’s from the final.

“Physically it was the worst thing that could happen to us [playing extra-time midweek]. For tomorrow we have to be careful, the decisions have not made yet who starts, who we push over the line, the recommendations for some is 60-70 minutes.

“Who do we push over this line for another 90 again. The decisions are not made yet, we’ll take our time, we’ll talk to players and the physical department.

“We have one more night to sleep, to eat good and overcome some difficult moments tomorrow physically.”

Tuchel was happy to welcome Romelu Lukaku though, after the Belgian returned to Stamford Bridge in a club record £97.5m deal.

“We’re very happy to have Romelu back at the club, personality, speed, power, he can be an excellent choice for us, an excellent addition,” Tuchel added. “He has the power, the physique to help us, the experience, the personality to have a huge impact. He’ s a humble guy, a true team player and cares about Chelsea.

“We had the feeling it’s worth it and to try and fight hard. He’s super hungry, he did everything to take this chance and make it happen. He was a huge player at Inter with all the responsibility on his shoulders. It was actually very important that it was his desire to rejoin Chelsea and finish his project and story at Chelsea in the way he wanted.

“We have a strong group with a strong bond, a certain attitude to help each other out and support each other. We think Romelu, always having Chelsea in his heart, is the perfect addition to the group. We had an exchange on the phone and messages, but he’s following the protocol, quarantining some days. We’ll be happy when he’s on the pitch.

“We were looking for a certain profile, Romelu is confident to play physically, with back towards goal and he is also very strong, using his speed and pace, it will always be a key figure in our game, to be strong in ball wins and offensive transitions, this is what the league demands.

“We don’t want to be only a ball possession team. We have the feeling that Romelu’s strengths to have a variety, he is strong in the air, he’ll give us a new power when we cross from the sides. He has charisma, a good age, he’s a leader. Hopefully he’ll be a leader in our group.”

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