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Thomas Tuchel admitted gaining revenge on Liverpool at Wembley is a motivation, and suggested Reece James could finish the season in an unfamiliar position.

The Blues and Reds will meet at Wembley for the second time this season on May 14. The rivals also met at the home of English football in the League Cup final in February, with Liverpool emerging victorious on that day via the narrowest of margins in a sudden death penalty shoot-out.

That was the first step in what Liverpool hope could be a historic quadruple this season. No English side has ever achieved that feat.

However, speaking in his Tuesday press conference, Tuchel was asked if taking revenge against Liverpool is a motivation.

“Of course, we feel it,” said the German (via Football London). “It was only some weeks ago we lost in the same stadium.

“In sports, if you lost against a team so recently you want to turn things around quick. If you call it revenge or not, it doesn’t matter, but we all have these competitive feelings.”

Chelsea breezed past Crystal Palace in the semi final with Timo Werner catching the eye against Crystal Palace.

The German did not score, but received lofty praise for his all-action display that dragged Palace defenders this way and that.

Werner serves as example for Lukaku

Werner’s time at Stamford Bridge has been a rocky one from the get go. Though Tuchel suggested Werner’s recent revival can serve as inspiration for another forward who has struggled since joining – Romelu Lukaku.

“All [Lukaku[ needs is that spark,” said Tuchel. “He maybe would’ve been a natural starter against Crystal Palace given the minutes Kai [Havertz] has played and the matches recently.

“But after a period of injury he lacked the fitness for matches. I don’t point the finger at him, it’s just a fact.

“Compare the difference in Brentford and Real Madrid and Southampton and Real Madrid. You see the effort we put into become a winning team and this is what we need. Romelu should’ve had a goal against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, but if he plays we need all that he has.”

Along with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz, Reece James has stood up tall in recent weeks.

The defender has operated primarily at right-wingback or right-back this season. However, Tuchel suggested James may spend time in the back three to round out the campaign.

Explaining why that would be, Tuchel added: “I think the back three is a little less demanding physically in terms of the wing-back position given he comes from a long injury.

“It is a bit of an advantage to have him in the back three because it is less demanding physically.

“He can play both positions brilliantly and we only pick him once so we have to decide.”

One defender who has fallen off the radar of late is Trevoh Chalobah. The centre-half is yet to appear in a single minute of action for Chelsea in any competition in April.

Insisting it is just part and parcel of being a footballer, Tuchel stated: “Maybe he feels these decisions are against him but they are for other players. We had Reece James playing in this position because of his physicality and speed.

“Trevoh played a very good season so far. He had a little dip of form some weeks ago but he had good weeks of training now. He had a talk but I haven’t been able to show him with minutes.

“We have Thiago in shape, Andreas playing, Reece in these positions. He is training excellently and this is what we demand of him. He will see it with minutes in the next matches.”

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