Latest team news?
Andreas Christensen has a small issue, which we're going to give it another 24 hours but
probably puts him out of the game.
There are no fresh returns from the injury list.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is playing in U23s this evening to get 90 minutes or something towards
that which should be great for him.
but other that there's no Tammy Abraham, no Christian Pulisic, no Callum Hudson-Odoi, no N'Golo Kante.
The latest on Tammy Abraham?
He went to Barcelona to get another set of eyes on it, and has come back relatively positive.
Unfortunately he's unwell at the moment, he's off for a couple of days with a bit of a bug,
so no update.
Any idea when he'll be back?
No.
You made eight changes in last round. What shall we expect tomorrow against Liverpool?
A team that gives everything to try to get through to the next round, against a very
strong Liverpool team.
I believe in the squad, sometimes you have to make changes and you have to go game by
game and case by case on that.
The team I put out should give everything to compete with Liverpool, as we have done
twice this season.
We've competed very well against them and were probably unfortunate to lose on both
occasions to lose.
So we have to approach it with the same spirit, to try to win.
Kepa in the frame?
Yep.
How has his attitude been in training?
Yeah, he's been professional as expected, he's trained well, kept his head down, supported
the team, and the group.
I say the same every week, I get asked this every week, he's been good.
What about his long term future?
Yeah, every player is in control of their destiny in how they train and how they play.
This is Chelsea and we're trying to close the gap to the top, so there can be no one
who is relaxed or loose, we have to push every day.
And try to win the game in front of us, train well on the day in front of you. Of course
we have to look at the group in the summer. But there are no decisions beyond the game
tomorrow night as far as I'm concerned.
How tough to prep to face Liverpool with the kids playing at points?
And they've been fantastic, but I would presume Liverpool would put out their strongest team,
or there and thereabouts.
Which we see most weeks in the Premier League, which has been fantastic we'll presume that
Knowing whatever team they put out they will give us a very difficult match.
Is it a good time to play them?
Because they lost one match?
Yeah…
Maybe not, who knows. It can go either way. They became relatively human for one game,
that can happen in this Premier League which is incredibly competitive. It shows how well
they have done in the last year or so, especially this season. I can’t comment, this is a
strong Liverpool team.
Teams have struggled since the winter break...
I don’t know. In isolation you can look at certain teams and say that, but they are
getting beaten by teams who have had a winter break, so it goes round. I think personally
with Liverpool they have had a couple of results like the rest of us do. They have been out
on their own this season and that is an incredible feat from Jurgen Klopp and this squad and
the club. They have just been slightly normal, but I wouldn’t put that on the break. Sometimes
you can look at it in the short time, sometimes you can question it better for the team in
the long run in for the season.
Any more pressure on you because Chelsea are used to winning trophies?
I only feel the usual pressure, for the reason that you said. Winning something is usually
a phrase that has gone out of the Premier League unless you are Manchester City or Liverpool,
pretty much, in the last couple of years because they have made so many strides and gone out
on their own slightly. We have to understand that the landscape has changed and try to
bridge the gap. We have to try to go in with the same thought, we want to win it. Realistically
we have to be at our best at first to beat Liverpool tomorrow.
What do you think about it being a midweek game?
I don’t mind it, It’s good, I understand the busy schedule. We can maybe moan about it
for our own little reasons, but the FA Cup is a huge competition, evening games bring a different
atmosphere and when you are drawn against like Liverpool it’s a game that we should
all be involved in.
Some players need game time, Fikayo Tomori hasn’t played for a while…
He played at the weekend…
Some other players…
That is squad football and from within, from my point of view you have to see what you
see every day and try to pick the XI to win each game.
Is this season harder than you thought it was going to be?
No. I had my eyes open when I cam into it. I had a hard season with Derby last year,
it almost finished very well. It is the job. My hard problems are what hard problems are
for other managers somewhere else which is relative. It is the nature of the job, I am
very aware of it.
Summer will be massive? You having to be patient?
I mean yes, because my first feeling with how I am means I am not very patient. That's
how I am as a sportsperson. I was as a player, I want more every day, the next day, I wanted
more yesterday. But in the situation when you become realistic and in my job as a manger
you look at it and say that there are other variables around it. Patience has to be in
the game for us, for sure.
Liverpool run, as a player does that make it difficult when a defeat comes?
No, I wouldn't say it is an exact science. We can't say it makes it easier or worse.
It is just a reaction from the players with the type of manager and players that they
have it can be a wake up call in a good way as well. It depends how you take it when you
look at them they look like a team of fantastic professionals with a manager who is very driven.
So things like that can make this game even harder for us.
Injuries this season taking their toll at two main points? Why now?
No one will give you that exact answer. I have been a player at this club when we have
had a phase of injury problems. It is not an exact science. I agree with you that when
we came into this club the injuries that were overlapping from last season were huge. N'Golo
Kante, Toni Rudiger, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who is yet to kick a ball, Callum Hudson-Odoi
and Willian, who had an injury from the start of the season after the internationals. They
were there from last year, it has definitely been an issue. Now we have another bulk, Christian
Pulisic has been out for two months, N'Golo Kante has played 50% of our games when he
generally plays 100% or there or thereabouts. It has been slightly looked in different directions
with us for transfer ban or youth. It has been a big issue for us without a doubt. For
me, to lose N'Golo Kante, one of the greatest midfielders in the world and Ruben Loftus-Cheek,
one of the most exciting English midfield players in the Premier League, is a huge loss
for us.
People might blame your tactics or some training methods for the glut of injuries?
I haven't seen that and I wouldn't label it on any one department.
Concern about Tammy and Christian's injuries now there's no timeline given to you?
It is certainly frustrating for them, particularly Christian who has had a big phase out now.
He is desperate to get back. It is only a concern that I have every week when they are
not fit. It is no greater.
I hope when I am not giving an answer, it is not like I am looking into the distance,
I hope they will be fit over the next week or two but I can't say that with clarity because
they have both had their issues. That has been a difficult one and my concern remains
the same as it always has been I suppose.