Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that the club’s new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might make his debut for the Blues in the Champions League opener against Dinamo Zagreb today, September 6, 2022.
Tuchel said the striker would feature in the game if he completes the final training session without any problems.
Recall that the former Barcelona striker was a victim of burglary– an horrible incident that happened at his house in Barcelona, which left him with a broken jaw.
However, Auba is set to wear a protective mask and is likely to feature in the Champions League tie in Croatia tonight according to coach Tuchel.
The 33-year-old Gabon international striker could not make his debut for Chelsea but he was spotted at Stamford Bridge watching as his new side defeated West Ham United 2-1 on Saturday, September 3, 2022.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel gave an update that Auba is likely to feature in today’s match against Dinamo Zagreb but he’s not sure if the Gabon striker is fit enough to play a full match.
“We could take everybody to Zagreb to train with everybody,” Tuchel said. “That includes Denis and Auba. If it goes well, they will be available.
“If there is an issue today we will not put him (Aubameyang) but there was no issue for him yesterday. Is he ready to start? Of course, but I think he cannot play 90 minutes so we have to manage the minutes. He needs minutes for his rhythm.”
When asked whether or not Aubameyang was ready to become Chelsea’s new hero despite being handed the “cursed” No 9 shirt, Thomas Tuchel, who once coached Auba at Borussia Dortmund added: “Don’t put any further ideas into Auba’s head, please. When he scores, he can celebrate.
“He is hungry to play for us, that is what we felt from the first moment and he is invited to prove a point.”
Aubameyang ✅
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Zakaria ✅
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Thomas Tuchel confirms who is available for Chelsea's Champions League opener at Dinamo Zagreb. pic.twitter.com/1ssY0qbWad
The Blues have struggled to secure themselves the 6th position in the 2022/23 Premier League table with 10 points, while their opponents Dinamo Zagreb have thrived, winning seven and drawing once in their first eight league games this season.
Thomas Tuchel confessed that he was cautious of the threat posed by Dinamo, who knocked Tottenham 3-0 to eliminate them in their last-16 tie in the 2021 Europa League Campaign.
Tuchel said: “They will use their role as underdog to try and overperform and make us underperform.
“We are aware of it and we are ourselves in a moment where we need to improve. We need to take the next step and it’s Champions League and it’s very exciting.
“We are aware of the challenge of playing the match away. I think it’s important we accept it and play a humble match. We accept the fight and accept the challenge. But we need to perform for sure.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic has revealed his trust in Aubameyang. The Croatian believes that Auba’s arrival will provide a boost to the Chelsea squad.
He said: “I can say that he will be a big addition for us because he’s a proper striker, a goalscorer, which we miss in the last few years.
“We haven’t had a goalscorer who scores 20-25 goals per season which you need to win the title. He is a proven scorer, for him it is normal to score and I hope he will do it here as well for Chelsea.”
