Tuchel warns Chelsea squad NOBODY is guaranteed an FA Cup final spot as Blues boss hits reset button after form blip

THOMAS TUCHEL revealed Chelsea have started from scratch this week in a bid to find some form ahead of the FA Cup final.

The Blues have gone from being the model of consistency to a Jekyll-and-Hyde side in the last month.

Four defeats in their last nine games saw them crash out of the Champions League and suddenly put their place in the top four under threat.

Tuchel has opted to wipe the slate clean in the last six days following Sunday’s damaging defeat at Everton, upping the intensity across three training sessions.

He hopes it will do the trick at home to Wolves today to boost their Champions League qualification hopes — and give confidence for next weekend’s Cup final against Liverpool.

Asked if this week has been like a reset for his squad, the German replied: “Yes, a little bit.

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“We cannot forget what a player did up until here and what role he played. But it is a little bit like that, and it was the time to do it.

“Let’s start from scratch and see who’s ready for Saturday, who takes care in three training sessions, so everybody has the feeling that he is ready.”

Tuchel said the performances of his stars against Wolves and Leeds away on Wednesday will be a major factor in who he selects to start the Cup final.

Being able to have a hat-trick of training sessions in a week during the season is a rare luxury for Chelsea’s squad, who have played a massive 58 matches this term.

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Tuchel has used it to his advantage by letting his players off the leash.

He said: “It was just like three times, ‘Do whatever you want’, more or less.

“And that gave us the chance to increase intensity, to have some new exercises that you would normally consider too intense, so we raised the level of intensity.

“We played little tournaments, we played to win. We wanted to see who wins.

“They were small-sided games and we played for the result, like not only tactical games, not only possession games.

“It was a light switch. It was very good training.”

One player hoping for a chance today will be Romelu Lukaku, whose miserable season hit a new low when he was left on the bench at Goodison Park.

Tuchel claimed the Belgian had been “strong” in training and that he is no prima donna.

The Blues boss added: “We treat him pretty normal and he behaves pretty normal.

“That’s what I loved about him from the first minute. I never had the feeling that I train a superstar.

“I train a hungry guy, who wants to score, who is not happy of course how things have gone, who is still hustling for a better outcome.

“That’s what counts, it’s the process. He’s fully involved in it and as long as it’s like this, then he gets our support.”

Tuchel is adamant that Lukaku will be “an important part of the squad next season”.

But right now so is every player who remains contracted beyond the summer with Chelsea unable to buy, sell or offer new deals to anyone while sanctioned Roman Abramovich remains the owner.

Tuchel was positive though on the impending takeover, as the consortium led by American businessman Todd Boehly looks to wrap up a deal.

He said: “I’ve been told last week that we have a preferred bidder and things are going forward.

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“It is a pretty important week now for the club. I was not involved but after what I heard last week, I am confident.”

 CHELSEA (likely): Mendy, Azpilicueta, Silva, Rudiger, James, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Alonso, Mount, Havertz, Lukaku.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk