Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has confirmed midfielder Mateo Kovacic is unlikely to be fit for the FA Cup final against Liverpool. The Blues star was on the end of a horrific Dan James challenge which saw the Leeds United winger shown a straight red card in their 3-0 defeat on Wednesday night. Kovacic was unable to continue having sustained the ankle injury and was pictured with a large amount of ice strapped around it. Addressing media after the final whistle, Tuchel said it is unlikely the Croatian recovers in time to play against the Reds at Wembley Stadium.
Thomas Tuchel said: “I tell you not as a coach or an expert but I think it’s very unlikely we see him [in the FA Cup final]. If Mateo misses it I am very disappointed because he was a clear starter. You saw the quality with Jorgi and him in midfield when it was eleven against eleven. We will see. Maybe we have a miracle. I did not see the challenge live. I just saw it from a distance and I’m not good at looking at these situations because it hurts me. Everyone told me it was a red card.”
The injury to a key midfielder for the Chelsea midfielder comes just 24 hours after the Reds lost Fabinho to injury against Aston Villa. The Brazilian hobbled off with a muscle injury which looks to keep him sidelined until the Champions League final at the earliest.
