CHELSEA manager Thomas Tuchel was not a very happy man on Sunday night, even after his side claimed a crucial Premier League victory at Aston Villa.
The Blues came from behind to beat their hosts 3-1, with Jorginho scoring two penalties and substitute Romelu Lukaku netting the other goal.
However, Tuchel was more concerned about his players’ welfare as they prepare to face Brighton on Wednesday.
Chelsea had a request to have their game against Wolves on 19 December rejected by the Premier League.
“It’s like it is – but this cannot be the right way,” Tuchel said in his post-match interview.
Callum Hudson-Odoi and Lukaku have both missed games because of Covid-19 as Chelsea faced eight games in all competitions in December, while forwards Kai Havertz and Timo Werner were still absent on Sunday and defender Thiago Silva and midfielder N’Golo Kante picked up injuries in the win at Villa Park.
“It’s not fair,” the German added. “We’ve all been in bed for 10 days and we play against teams who prepare with games postponed, and who prepare with one week for these matches.
“They make us play all the time, even if we have Covid. We have new injuries and it won’t stop. People at the green table, in offices, make these decisions.
“We are struggling, we’re pressing our players. I have maximum respect for what the players did. We do changes because of injuries. We don’t change for tactical reasons any more.
“I’m very impressed with my players but super concerned. Maybe we made a big mistake letting players play after corona and one or two training sessions.
“But obviously they [the Premier League] made us play and so we play.”
Tuchel then joined the call for five substitutes to be allowed in the Premier League again to help deal with the Covid-19 surge.
“We are not protecting the players because we are the only league who doesn’t have five changes,” Tuchel said.
The five-substitute rule has remained in the rest of Europe’s top leagues since it was introduced in 2020.
