Several members of Chelsea’s first team have been left shocked by Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Tammy Abraham out of the club’s 20-man squad for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City.
Abraham’s goals have been very vital to Chelsea reaching the last four of the competition this year.
The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick in the side’s fourth round win at home to Luton Town before getting the winner in the next round away to Barnsley.
But Abraham has started just four games in total since Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard back in January and has grown increasingly frustrated with a lack of game-time under the new Chelsea manager.
According to The Telegraph, Abraham’s exile is set to continue for this evening’s big clash between Chelsea and City at Wembley, with the player left out altogether despite being their top scorer this campaign with 12 goals in all competitions.
The report claims some of Abraham’s team-mates were ‘shocked’ to learn that he had been left out once again for a game which could go some way to defining the club’s season.
There have been reports that Abraham could even seek an escape route out of Chelsea if he continues to be denied regular minutes by the German coach.
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Abraham will know that his hopes of winning back a place in the England squad rest on him returning to form at Chelsea but his Euro 2020 ambitions have been put to one side by Tuchel.
‘No, I cannot do my decision on the personal goals for the players,’ Tuchel told reporters earlier this month. ‘Kepa [Arrizabalaga] also has goals to play for Spain. This is good they have these goals but this can never influence my decisions.
‘I’m the coach for Chelsea, I have to do what’s good for us and what I believe is best for us. ‘Tammy had a bit of a rough time because he started twice or three times and was twice substituted for tactical reasons at half-time.
‘He could not have the impact he demands from him and that we wish from him that he can clearly give from him.
‘Then he was injured and lost a bit the connection and the possibility to fight for his place in the squad. The squad played very well without him, we had a lot of results without him.
‘Now we enter in the decisive part of the season where it’s not so easy to bring players who are injured into the shape or to let them play.’
