Thomas Tuchel makes interesting Conor Gallagher admission ahead of Chelsea vs Crystal Palace FA Cup semi-final clash
Speaking in his pre-match presser for the Chelsea vs Crystal Palace FA Cup clash as quoted by The Mirror, Thomas Tuchel revealed that he apologised to Conor Gallagher as the player won’t be able to face his parent club in the crucial fixture.
The 22-year-old has been impressive with Crystal Palace this season. He has already bagged eight goals and notched up five assists in 32 matches across all competitions for the Eagles this season to date. He has been an integral part of Patrick Vieira’s setup at Selhurst Park and his absence would be a big loss to them.
This may be a sign of relief for the Blues who are recovering from a draining midweek encounter with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. That being said, the German manager highlighted that he spoke to Gallagher and even sympathised with him and the French manager.
Speaking ahead of the FA Cup tie as quoted by The Mirror, Tuchel highlights how he bumped into the English midfielder in a restaurant after the international break. The 48-year-old manager relayed his apologies to the player but highlighted that the rules were in place to help the club.
“I had the chance to speak to Conor and I could also see his frustration. We met weeks ago by coincidence in a restaurant after the international break and we had a chat, and the subject came up. I apologised because I know how competitive he is and I like him a lot. I know his character very well and it was a pleasure to have him here in pre-season.
Thomas Tuchel admitted to understanding the disappointment of Vieira and Conor Gallagher but reiterated that the Stamford Bridge outfit shouldn’t have to suffer from their rules. The German boss highlighted that they play every game with a view of winning it.
“It’s the way it is. We play to win the game and the rules were clear when we made the loan, and I can totally understand Patrick Viera and also the disappointment of Conor of course. But these were the rules when we did the loan and we don’t want to suffer from our rules.”
Gallagher a no-go against Chelsea!
The English midfielder has largely had to bide his time with loan spells to date. Before joining Palace on a loan deal, he also had similar stints with West Bromwich Albion and Charlton Athletic. But it is his stint with the Eagles that has grabbed people’s attention.
The 22-year-old mostly plays as a central midfielder but has also filled in as an attacking midfielder and right midfielder this season. Gallagher has shown immense potential and could be viewed as a future torchbearer of the midfield at Stamford Bridge.
Despite having picked up the FIFA Club World Cup this year, the West Londoners were just short of picking up the EFL Cup after losing to Liverpool on penalties in the semi-finals. They also had to face a tough exit from the Champions League midweek after Los Blancos managed to outscore them over the span of both legs.
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All of this coupled with the sanctions means we’ve had to endure a tough time recently. A victory in the upcoming FA Cup clash could give us some respite. Hopefully, it can also give us some momentum heading into the business end of the season.
That being said, Crystal Palace are more than capable of beating the top clubs on their days- with or without Gallagher. We should thus be wary of the threat that they possess. Tuchel will be hoping for a spirited performance from his boys and they could face either Manchester City or Liverpool should they defeat the Eagles.