Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says he’s sorry Conor Gallagher for not allowing the midfielder to play on loan Crystal Palace against his parent’s club on Sunday FA Cup semifinal (stream LIVE on ESPN+ at 11:30 a.m. ET in the US).
The 22-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season – scoring eight goals and providing five assists – but will be in the stands at Wembley this weekend after the Blues’ denied Palace’s request for a special authorization. can participate.
Eagles promoter Patrick Vieira described the decision as “something that upsets Conor’s development” and that “the only one who will lose is Conor.”
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When asked if he had contacted Gallagher directly, Tuchel said at a press conference on Friday: “I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Connor and I can also see his frustrations. We met a few weeks ago, I think after the national holiday, coincidentally in a restaurant and we had a chat.
“The topic came up and I’m sorry because I know how competitive he is. I like him a lot, I know his personality very well. It’s nice to have him here in the pre-season. season and events are like that.
“We play to win and the rules are clear when we lend. I can completely understand Patrick Vieira and of course Conor’s frustration as well but these are the rules when we lend and we don’t want to be swayed from our rules.”
Romelu Lukaku are returning to training following an Achilles incident but preparations for another big game for Chelsea have been complicated by off-field problems after director Eugene Tenenbaum was sanctioned by the UK government in an attempt to win. further freeze the assets of outgoing owner Roman Abramovich.
“I don’t know the real impact and significance of it for the club at the moment,” Tuchel said. “I was with the team and the staff yesterday and we heard that.
“For now, I think it’s not a distraction anymore, but just a similar incident. We still hope that things will calm down and be resolved in the process with the government.”
The deadline for offers to buy Chelsea was approved on Thursday and a preferred bidder is expected to be determined early next week for final approval by the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport.
“No, [I have not heard any update] honestly,” added Tuchel. It’s still a process and I’ve heard that negotiations are still going on with the government and I’m not involved yet. this.
“We hope that everything will be resolved as soon as possible so there is clarity but I can understand that it is not easy.”
