https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2021/12/03/
tuchel-reveals-where-saul-could-play-a-part-and-whether-ziyech-f
Tuchel reveals where Saul could play a part and whether Ziyech figures in
plans
03 Dec 2021
There were contrasting fortunes for Saul and Hakim Ziyech on Wednesday at
Watford and ahead of the next match tomorrow against West Ham, Thomas
Tuchel has been discussing the pair and whether either could feature at
the London Stadium.
https://i.imgur.com/tXp0Wrj.jpg
For Saul, it was a curtailed night in midfield in the eventual 2-1 win
over the Hornets. He was handed a start but a booking heralded his
half-time substitution as Tuchel changed the team shape. Ziyech began on
the bench but was brought on later in the second half and scored the
winning goal in some style.
Our head coach has previously hinted there is another option for where to
play the left-footed Saul, who is on loan from Atletico Madrid, and he has
revealed now that it is an idea tested in training.
'Saul had the early yellow card and was a bit shy to play all-in in the
duels and for that he lacked a bit of his physicality,' Tuchel reflected,
'because he did not want to risk a red card which was a good thing on that
evening not to be one man down.
'I think that he could play in a wing-back role for us, even if we play a
dominant and offensive game because he's very strong in arriving the
opponents' box, very strong at finishing, and has good timing to arrive at
the second post with his head.
'We sometimes do this in training, that's why we have the impression that
he could maybe be a good fit and maybe in the next games we have to try
this, because Ben Chilwell is out long-term and a lot of games are coming
and we can maybe not put every game on Marcos Alonso's shoulders.'
After an interrupted start to his season, Ziyech scored two goals and
supplied two assists in the past month. According to Tuchel, the Moroccan
is in a good place and very much in his selection thoughts.
'I like him. I can feel it that he feels better now. It took him a long
time. He was always very ambitious with his shoulder injury but I could
feel that the 100 per cent he could give was not the 100 per cent of his
top level. Now he feels much better and I can feel it.
https://i.imgur.com/JrFcMdO.jpg
Ziyech celebrating his Watford winning strike
'He smiles, he's happy, he is decisive. He had huge influence now from the
bench against Leicester and in Watford. We had two matches in between
those when he played from the start, against Juventus and Man United.
'Hakim is in a good shape, is in good form and a good state of mind. We
want him absolutely to be influential but I will not say if he starts
tomorrow or comes from the bench.'