The Blues boss left many sections of the club’s fanbase confused with his decision to leave the €50 million summer signing on the bench.
Thomas Tuchel said Timo Werner felt “a bit tired” when asked to explain the striker’s omission from the Chelsea starting XI against Manchester United.
Tuchel also mentioned that his decision to leave out Werner was impacted by the fact that Chelsea have a decisive match coming up on Thursday, against Liverpool.
Olivier Giroud lead the attack while Hakim Ziyech returned to the line-up as the Blues boss made a few changes in his team for the crunch clash on Sunday.
“He’s a different kind of player. He deserves it now, he had a good impact in the game versus Atletico,” Tuchel explained Hakimi’s inclusion, speaking to Sky Sports before the match.
Explaining Werner’s omission, he added: “It was the feeling to give Timo a little break, to have him from the bench, to have him again fresh also for the fixture against Liverpool.
“He was also a bit tired. I felt he was a little bit tired after so many games in a row so I give him a rest and let the other guys perform who deserve that.”
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