Chelsea will head into the break on top of the Premier League table following a fine first quarter of the campaign.
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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is hoping to switch off from football and spend some quality time with his family this week during the last international break of this calendar year. However, the German manager will still be keeping tabs on two players of his squad during the internationals. The Blues will head into the break on top of the Premier League table following a fine first quarter of the campaign. Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Burnley might not have been the ideal way to end the domestic matches ahead of a 2-week break, but it is another point on the board thanks to a Kai Havertz header. The head coach would have been frustrated at not claiming all three points despite producing a dominant performance at the Bridge.
A number of Chelsea players will now head off on international duty, which includes recent injury returnees Christian Pulisic and N’Golo Kante. Tuchel, like any other club manager, hopes that his players return injury-free and with additional minutes under their belts. When asked if he was pleased or worried about players heading away with their nations, the manager was quoted as saying by the club’s website, “Of course both.”
“We are happy on one side for players to get minutes with their nations. They are proud to represent their countries, they are the best players to be nominated to play and I totally understand the emotion that comes with that. On the other side, we would love to rest certain players and keep them with us at Cobham rather than going away with their countries so we can work with them.”
He added: “We would like to use the break to give the players a few days off, to disconnect and relax before returning again after a short period ready to work hard. The guys who are returning from injury, we would like to take care of them but sometimes it is like this and if they can go away with their nations and get some minutes, then maybe this is good.”
“We take into consideration where players will travel to and how much they will play when we plan out the schedules. This is definitely the case with players such as N’Golo and Christian. In the past few weeks, they’ve more or less just been with us every day working on returning to fitness but they are free to go away with their national teams and hopefully they will get the minutes to elevate them onto a higher level when they come back.
“It’s a careful balance because while we hope that happens, we are also hoping that they do not get injured. Not just for N’Golo and Christian, but all our international players. We have no control over it so yes, I’m always a little frightened of players going away.”
The Bavarian also offered a glimpse into his life away from football during the international break. “My plans will be very boring, I have to say!” Tuchel started with a smile. “I will drive my kids to school in the morning and then pick them up later. In between I will take my dog for a walk in the forest, maybe read some books and relax.
“I don’t think I will watch too many videos, I’ll try and switch off a little bit and then perhaps watch a little television in the evening. Mainly I will read books though and yes, these are my plans. Nothing too exciting!”
