Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that defender Andreas Christensen told him on the morning of the FA Cup final against Liverpool that he was unable to be part of the squad. AFP
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that defender Andreas Christensen told him on the morning of the FA Cup final against Liverpool that he was unable to be part of the squad. AFP
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that defender Andreas Christensen told him on the morning of the FA Cup final against Liverpool that he was unable to be part of the squad. AFP
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel revealed that defender Andreas Christensen told him on the morning of the FA Cup final against Liverpool that he was unable to be part of the squad. AFP

Thomas Tuchel not sure if Andreas Christensen will play again for Chelsea


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Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel admitted on Wednesday that he is unsure whether defender Andreas Christensen will play again for the club.

The Dane pulled out of the squad for the FA Cup final defeat against Liverpool at the weekend and has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

Chelsea have already lost the services of German defender Antonio Rudiger – who will join Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid this summer – and it looks like Christensen will also be heading for the exit.

And, speaking ahead of Chelsea's Premier League game at home to Leicester City on Thursday, Tuchel revealed that he did not know whether the 26-year-old will be available to take on the Foxes – or for Sunday's final game of the season at Watford.

“I’m not sure yet if he’s involved tomorrow and at the weekend,” said Tuchel of Christensen, whose contract runs out this summer and can leave on a free transfer. “Andreas came in the morning of the [FA Cup final] to speak to me and tell me that he’s not ready to play the match, not to start or be on the bench.

“He had his reasons, they stay private and confidential. But it was not the first time as you can see over the last weeks that we had some of the same situations.

“That’s why he did not play so regularly in the last times. We thought we were in a good progression and development, but the conversation took place, we had to respect it and we of course respected it.

Liverpool beat Chelsea in FA Cup final: player ratings

“It was very short notice now before the cup final, and not only this match, other matches in the other weeks. There’s no chance I have any prediction for tomorrow or the weekend.”

Repeating what he said after Rudiger's decision not to sign a new contract, Tuchel insisted he will not take Christensen’s situation “personally”.

“We had to accept it and we will accept it,” said the German, whose team are third in the table and have already secured a top-four finish this season. “I try the best I cannot to take things personally, and I still believe Andreas wanted to play these matches, I still believe he could in terms of potential and ability.

“And he struggled over the last weeks, as you can see, when he was not in the squad or not playing although he was physically available.

“It was not completely out of the blue sky. We thought we had prepared him the best way possible with a very impressive game at Leeds. He is a key player.”

Timo Werner, Mateo Kovacic and Callum Hudson-Odoi will all miss the Leicester game, with Tuchel potentially rotating resources after Saturday’s punishing extra-time cup final. Kai Havertz faces a late fitness test on his hamstring problem.

Leeds 0 Chelsea 3: player ratings

THREE
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ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

RESULT

Manchester City 5 Swansea City 0
Man City:
D Silva (12'), Sterling (16'), De Bruyne (54' ), B Silva (64' minutes), Jesus (88')

Result

2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,950m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).

2.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.

3.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Adam McLean, Doug Watson.

3.45pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,950m; Winner: Conclusion, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.

4.15pm: Handicap Dh100,000 1,400m; Winner: Pilgrim’s Treasure, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.

4.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m; Winner: Sanad Libya, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

5.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,000m; Winner: Midlander, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

Superpower%20
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Overall standings

1. Christopher Froome (GBR/Sky) 68hr 18min 36sec,

2. Fabio Aru (ITA/AST) at 0:18.

3. Romain Bardet (FRA/ALM) 0:23.

4. Rigoberto Uran (COL/CAN) 0:29.

5. Mikel Landa (ESP/SKY) 1:17.

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Updated: May 18, 2022, 2:41 PM`