Thomas Tuchel, sitting inside the stadium in Las Vegas where tomorrow the pre-season matches will begin, faced the media and spoke about one of his young players who is subject to transfer speculation, and about a former Academy graduate who has been linked with a move back to Chelsea.
Striker Armando Broja enjoyed an impressive Premier League loan last season at Southampton which attracted attention and there is reported interest from other clubs. He is now part of Chelsea’s pre-season although that is on temporary hold for the 20-year-old Albanian international.
‘He had a little accident yesterday in training with ball control and landed in a funny way on his ankle and on his Achilles,’ revealed Tuchel.
‘So he's in pain but nothing major. We did all the examinations and it's just pain, and he's lucky that he did not get injured and we are lucky and happy that he did not injure himself. So he will not be in training today, he's in treatment.
‘Armando is our player first of all, and we have at the moment no interest in selling him,’ the boss continued.
‘He is here to make an impression after he was on loan in Southampton. It's good there's interest [from other clubs]. It shows us that there is a talent and potential.
‘Armando is in the position to impress, impress as a Chelsea and to become a Chelsea player. When? Nobody knows but hopefully as soon as possible.
‘He got injured. It's never nice because the young players should normally make an impression during pre-season from the very first minute. Now we have a little delay in that.’
Tuchel was also asked about Nathan Ake following reports that a potential deal for the Manchester City defender, who was a Chelsea player between 2011 and 2017, has fallen through.
‘For Nathan Ake we will not comment, even if it was a nice try,’ said Tuchel.