Tuchel whinges about Covid struggle – but Chelsea have 22 players out on loan

Chelsea have slipped eight points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City following one win from their last four domestic outings – and Thomas Tuchel has moaned about his playing squad.

The Champions League winning boss insisted that there was no way his side could be in the title race considering their recent Covid-19 cases and injuries – and might need to do something about it in January.

According to Premier Injuries, Chelsea currently have six players unavailable in Timo Werner, Reece James, Andreas Christensen, Ben Chilwell, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Thiago Silva.

There are 10 Premier League clubs who have more than that currently out of action, with Liverpool missing seven of their own and City without just one fewer.

Additionally, Chelsea are likely to be able to recall several loaned out players should they wish do during the January window without spending a penny.

“How should we be in it?” Tuchel had said when asked about the title race.

“We have seven Covid cases. We have four or five players out for six or more weeks. How should we compete in a title race?

“Everybody else has a full squad and has everybody in training and is training every day at full power to come through this league.

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"It would be stupid if we can do it [even with] Covid and if we can do it [even with] injury, and just play, everybody would be stupid to have 23 players.

“I really don’t know what I can expect from my players, in terms of minutes, in terms of intensity. I don’t know it any more.

"Nobody knows it, because we have never done something like this. So we play trial and error and see what we get.”

Chelsea's full loaned out list includes goalkeepers Nathan Baxter, Jamie Cumming and Karlo Ziger.

The defenders are Levi Colwill, Juan Castillo, Henry Lawrence, Ian Maatsen, Jake Clarke-Salter, Emerson, Matt Miazga, Baba Rahman, Dujon Sterling and Ethan Ampadu.

The midfielders are Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher, Kenedy, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater, Thierno Ballo and Tino Anjorin.

And the forwards are Armando Broja and Michy Batshuayi.

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