The good news is there is light at the end of the tunnel, with a group led by Todd Boehly now in place to acquire the club. Tuchel confirmed at his press conference today that nothing has changed at Cobham, though, as final sign-offs from the Premier League and the Government is still required.

Tuchel confessed to feeling like a ‘spectator’ in the talks, but acknowledged ‘these are steps in the right direction’. With it, he hopes it will bring an end to the uncertainty surrounding the Blues, and in turn help the players’ focus following a stuttering run of form.

‘We are the only club at the moment who suffers like this, and maybe the first club ever to do so,’ noted Tuchel.

‘It is a unique and challenging situation, and of course everybody hopes it will be clarified. We have been waiting for it and we need that positive energy and competitive atmosphere.

‘There is no hiding from the fact it is a distraction, and it is a question of which level can we still live up to, even if we are distracted or worried. We did excellently until the national break. It had no effect in terms of results, almost the opposite. We felt very strong during the announcement of the sanctions.

‘Then something very human and normal took place. When the players were not here [during the international break] there were different influences to them, maybe more thoughts about the situation in general, and now the situation is very long.

‘The players want to feel competitive,’ added Tuchel. ‘They want to know what is going on next season. A player like Toni decided to then change the club. With every day it gets more difficult. It’s not impossible, but it’s more difficult. It has an influence, and still we are looking to reach the level where we are competitive and still win games. It’s no excuse but it is a reason.’

There are other factors behind our indifferent recent results, Tuchel acknowledged. Yet even during the 2-2 draw with Wolves on Saturday there were signs from of his players of the effort and energy required for us to finish this fixture-laden campaign on a high.

‘We look a bit tired mentally when you look at our games from the sideline,’ said the boss.

‘It’s understandable given the circumstances around the club, and the big knockout games we had to play after the international break. From losing to Real Madrid, to winning against Real Madrid, to still being out of the Champions League, then another game at Wembley,

‘It’s been quite challenging. We have a lot of matches in our legs and our bones, and we feel it. It’s another reason, everybody knows it, and we need to reach a certain level that is possible.

‘We can do better than we have been doing in the last two matches, but the positive thing is I feel the will, the motivation,' continued Tuchel.

'The motivation was very high to turn things around against Wolverhampton. You could see our physical input. It was almost too high, where we even attacked with defenders and left space for counter-attacks, but there was not a lack of motivation. It was the opposite, so there are also good signs.

‘We still trust the team, trust our players and trust what brought us here. Now is the moment to stay calm.’