Thomas Tuchel explains why Conor Gallagher will not play against Chelsea at Wembley this weekend, as preparations for the London derby FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace hot up…
The 22-year-old midfielder is enjoying an outstanding season on loan in south London (he has eight goals and five assists to his name) and it is no surprise our opponents on Sunday asked permission to keep him in their side for the game. However as Tuchel makes clear, they knew when the loan was agreed that this would be the case should this situation arise, although he appreciates why Palace and Gallagher are not happy.
‘I had the chance to speak to Conor and I could also see his frustration,’ Tuchel revealed.
‘We met some weeks ago, after the international break. We ran into each other by coincidence in a restaurant and we had a chat. The subject came up and I apologised because I know how competitive he is and I like him a lot. I know his character very well. It was a pleasure to have him here in pre-season.
‘That’s the way it is. We play to win the game and the rules were clear when we made the loan. I can totally understand Patrick Vieira 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.’
