Tuchel hopeful Chilwell will be back sooner rather than later

Ben Chilwell could be facing several months on the sidelines – but Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is hopeful he will be back much sooner.

Chilwell suffered a knee injury during the recent Champions League game against Juventus.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of today’s clash with Manchester United, Tuchel explained that Chilwell will be assessed after six weeks.

The England international will either have recovered by then or require surgery, which would almost certainly rule him out for the rest of the season.

But Tuchel revealed that Chilwell has so far responded positively to treatment, perhaps giving cause for optimism that he will be back in action sooner rather than later.

“We are very positive because the first reaction of his body is very positive, so hopefully it stays like this,” Tuchel said;

“Now the full focus from everybody is towards the next six weeks and bringing him back to the pitch. That is the decision after all the medical examinations and it is a very responsible decision.

“There is no rush and no pressure. This is the reasonable way to do it.

“This for him personally is a very bad moment. He was so good and full of confidence. He had a huge part in our victories and performances over the last weeks.

“It’s a shame. We are very sad. But actually at the moment he is very positive because his body reacted very well to the first treatments.”