Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has provided a fitness update on Ben Chilwell after the defender’s heroics against West Ham on Saturday.
The Blues beat the Hammers 2-1 at Stamford Bridge, with an overall quiet game ending in dramatic fashion.
Chilwell came off the bench soon after Michail Antonio gave West Ham the lead with a close range finish, and the 25-year-old made an instant impact.
He was able to score the equaliser for Chelsea with a neat finish through the legs of Lukasz Fabianski, before assisting Kai Havertz for the winner late on in the match.
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His hard work was nearly undone when Maxwel Cornet equalised just moments later, but VAR came to the rescue for Tuchel’s side, who now sit fifth in the Premier League.
Chilwell’s goal was his first for the side since his return from injury.
The left wing-back was out for most of last season whilst he recovered from his ACL injury, making his first appearance back during the final day win against Watford.
Tuchel has now spoken on the defender’s fitness, with Chilwell proving to be a reliable asset before his absence.
Speaking to the media after the win, he said: “Fitness, I think he has the full fitness he can have from training and pre-season matches.
“Of course, he can feel fitter and be fitter if he is playing in consecutive Premier League matches. In my opinion, he lacks rhythm and a bit of feeling from the game, this is what I see in training.
“The player always thinks he is ready, I think there are some things still missing.”
Chilwell’s quality was clear to see in Chelsea’s equaliser as he was able to control a ball in from Thiago Silva, before squeezing it under Fabianski at a tight angle.
His assist for Havertz was also something to admire, with his cross finding the German in a crucial area inside the box.
Despite the win Chelsea will still be disappointed with the fact they conceded once again, particularly from a set-piece.
Tuchel commented on such a weakness after the match, saying: “It’s strange. We invest a lot of time in it but there are not a lot of changes going on.
“We are even investing a bit more in details, set-up and time. Maybe it’s just a phase and maybe it’s also down to talents. With Wesley Fofana, we have someone that can help us a lot.
"We didn’t have Kai (Havertz) today on the pitch who is one of the best for first contact. We took that kind of risk because we wanted to have small strikers today on the pitch.
“As you say, we struggle to convert our set pieces into chances; we struggle with the delivery and the repetitive quality. And we conceded from a set piece again but we are on it.”
Topics: Thomas Tuchel, Ben Chilwell, Chelsea, West Ham United, Premier League
Robert Calcutt