LONDON: A pre-match virtual team talk might not be the last time Chelsea’s players get instructions from absent manager Thomas Tuchel in their semifinal match at the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
Tuchel tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was unable to fly to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday night with the squad. He will definitely miss the match against Asian champion Al Hilal but is hopeful of getting out for either the final or the third-place playoff, both of which take place on Saturday.
Tuchel’s assistants, Arno Michels and Zsolt Low, will lead the team against Al Hilal at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
“We’re constantly in contact with Thomas,” said Low, the first-team coach. “We have a lot of meetings together and we’re video-calling all the time, many times in the day. We record training and send that to him, we change ideas a lot of times in the day.”
Tuchel plans to address the team via video link likely before the squad leaves the hotel for the match.
“It might be more difficult at the stadium,” Low said.
Tuchel will have his say during the match, too.
“Also during the game,” Low said, “we can be in contact with him, on what he sees and what he wants us to do.”
“We have a very, very well structured club at Chelsea, with a lot of support for everybody. And (technical director) Petr Cech, for example, has supported us amazingly well in Thomas’ absence. We have very good team management, with a lot of support as coaching staff to overcome this situation.”
Low will not be attempting to mimic Tuchel’s lively touchline demeanor.
“You can’t copy Thomas — he’s one of the best coaches in the whole world,” Low said. “That’s why you have to share the training and coaching, and do different roles.
“And on the sideline, also ... we’ll swap over between myself and my colleague Arno Michels, to try to push the team forward. And change all the time if somebody sees something or has a good opinion they can communicate it during the game or at halftime.”
First-choice goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is also yet to link up with the Chelsea squad after helping Senegal win the African Cup of Nations on Sunday.
Mendy was due to arrive in Abu Dhabi either Tuesday or Wednesday, with Chelsea waiting until then to make a final decision on the starting goalkeeper.
The likelihood remains that Kepa Arrizabalaga will start against Al Hilal.
Absent Tuchel will still influence Chelsea at Club World Cup
https://arab.news/pz543
Absent Tuchel will still influence Chelsea at Club World Cup
- Tuchel tested positive for the coronavirus last week and was unable to fly to the UAE
- He is hopeful of getting out for either the final or the third-place playoff, both of which take place on Saturday
Jones leads after blemish-free 65 at Address Marassi
- Englishman holds 1-shot advantage as 3 players share second at Egypt Golf Series
AL-ALAMEIN, Egypt: England’s Ben Jones carded a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the Egypt Golf Series Address Marassi Golf Resort 2, the third event of the MENA Golf Tour’s four-tournament Egypt swing.
Jones holds a one-shot advantage over three players at six under — Italy’s Giovanni Manzoni, Scotland’s Michael Stewart and Spain’s Juan Salama — as players returned to the resort course for the second consecutive week.
Jones said: “It was a bit fortunate the first day by getting the right side of the wind and that’s when you have to take advantage of the course.”
“I hit it really solid all day, stayed out of trouble and had no dropped shots, so I’m really happy with that. It’s probably my best round of the year so far and hopefully I can keep that going.
“I nearly holed one on eight and for a second I thought it was in, and then on the final putt of the day I nearly grabbed another birdie. It hit the back of the hole but just didn’t drop. I maybe hit it a little firm because I misjudged the wind down there.”
Scotland’s Stewart said: “I played really nicely today. I felt like I had good control of my ball in the wind, which was really important out there. The preparation over the last few days definitely helped, and last week’s final round was very breezy as well, so that experience carried over.
“I would not say it is getting easier, because it is not, but you do start putting yourself in better positions because you understand the course and the misses a bit more.
“Overall, it just felt like one of those days where I played really solid golf, gave myself plenty of chances, and managed to take a few of them.”
Salama enjoyed a tale of two halves having teed off on the 10th, with six birdies on his back nine, the course’s front nine, transforming his round.
“Six under is obviously very pleasing, but it really felt like two completely different nines out there,” said the Spaniard.
“The front nine was quite tough and I started a little cold with the putter. On the back nine everything clicked, the putter got hot and I was able to make six birdies, which made a huge difference.
“Finishing the round by holing that putt on my final hole was a great feeling and gives me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow.”
Italy’s Ludovico Addabbo, second in the MENA Golf Tour Rankings and alone in fifth at five under, went blemish-free on the card, which included an eagle on the fourth hole and three birdies on the back nine.
Rankings leader Chris Wood, who won last week’s Marassi 1 event in a dramatic playoff, is among a large group at one-over par following an opening 73 as he looks for a repeat win at the venue.
The Egypt Golf Series has $100,000 in prize money and Official World Golf Ranking points on offer. Following this week’s event, the Tour concludes its Egypt Swing at Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo from Feb. 3 to 5.
