The manager of Chelsea football club, Thomas Tuchel has tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus a few days before the FIFA Club World Cup.
Chelsea announced that the 48-year-old German tactician is self-isolating ahead of the FA Cup 4th round match between the club and Plymouth.
In the absence of coach Thomas Tuchel, the club’s assistant manager Arno Michels took charge of the FA Cup fourth round game which took place at Stamford Bridge today, February 5, 2022.
The news that Tuchel has contracted the deadly coronavirus came about four days before Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup semi-final game against a team that is yet to be named.
The semi-final game which is expected to take place in Abu Dhabi on February 9, 2022, is scheduled to kick off at 17:30.
Note that the FIFA Club World Cup is a seven-team tournament for clubs that won the Champions League titles of their continents.
For instance, Chelsea will represent the whole of Europe in the tournament for winning the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League title.
This is Chelsea’s second attempt to win the FIFA Club World Cup. They failed to achieve the feat after winning the 2011-2012 UEFA Champions League title.
Recall that the Premier League club has won all the major titles in European and English club football except the FIFA Club World Cup. Hence, the club would leave no stone unturned in an attempt to bring home the FIFA trophy.
Chelsea would hope that the coach would have recovered fully to oversee the club’s preparation for the match and the kick-off of the match itself.
A statement the club released to announce that the coach has tested positive for Covid confirmed that the players will fly to Abu Dhabi to start preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup after the FA Cup game against Plymouth.
Thomas Tuchel is expected to join up with the team later in the week if he has the medical permit to do so. While the club awaits full recovery, assistant coach Arno Michels will be in charge of the team.
Ahead of the FA Cup game against Plymouth, coach Micheals told reporters that coach Thomas Tuchel was involved in the preparation for the FA Cup game and that he would keep in touch with the coach during the game.
‘He was fully in charge throughout the whole week with the preparation for the game so he knows exactly what’s going on today, [February 5, 2022],’ he said.
‘We will stay in touch with him during the game as well so it’s all good.’
Tuchel tests positive for Covid-19. ⤵️
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 5, 2022
At the time of publishing this report, the scoreline for the FA Cup game between Chelsea and Plymouth was 1-1 (86 minutes).
