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Tuchel says Chelsea man has excuse for poor stat in Liverpool, Man Utd nod

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says that Timo Werner’s goalscoring contributions would look much better if he took penalties.

The Blues made headlines last summer by bringing in the German striker in a big-money move from RB Leipzig. He gained a reputation there as one of Europe’s most explosive forwards. As a result, he arrived at Stamford Bridge with big expectations about how he would contribute.

However, reports now claim that Chelsea are looking for a new star striker after Werner‘s struggles.

The 25-year-old has only scored six Premier League goals in 34 games, assisting 12 others alongside that.

In a nod to the likes of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Tuchel insisted that Werner should be excused because he does not take penalties.

“He’s still young and can still improve,” the manager told a press conference (via Football London).

“This is what we demand every week. When he has some time to rest, some time on holiday for mental rest, I’m sure he can take the next steps next year.

“He will know the environment, what he is up against, how to adapt. We try to push him now because we need that.

“Many goalscorers in Europe take penalties for their team and it’s usual that their high numbers have penalties. If we had penalties in his number everyone might be happy with his numbers.”

Fernandes has scored 18 Premier League goals this term, but nine of those have come from the penalty spot.

Meanwhile, six spot-kicks make up Salah’s tally of 22.

Tuchel was speaking ahead of Sunday’s away trip to Aston Villa, where they will have one eye on Liverpool’s progress against Crystal Palace and Leicester’s clash with Tottenham.

All sides remain in the scrap for the top four, but after Tuesday’s win over the Foxes, Chelsea know they can ensure their place if they beat Dean Smith’s men.

Tuchel predicts final-day bonanza

“For a long period of the game we will be in our bubble but in the end, if we have results that change the amount of risk we need to take – because we’re not leading or not comfortable with our lead – we need to know,” Tuchel added.

“We need to be professional. If we need to adapt our risk management in the game I think it’s normal.

“We will approach the game like the game against Leicester. It’s in our hands and can decide things with a win.

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“So we prepare to win the game but as you know, there can be a lot of twists and turns so we need to be ready for everything on our pitch.”

Tuchel confirmed that Andreas Christensen will be in the squad after recovering from injury. However, a late call will be made over N’Golo Kante after he withdrew in the first half against Leicester.

READ MORE: Euro Paper Talk: Three players named as Chelsea offer Tottenham Kane swap proposal

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