Chelsea are ready to bar players from going on international duty if they are forced to quarantine.
Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers later this month, Premier League clubs are becoming increasingly concerned about players travelling to countries on the UK Government’s Covid red list.
Now Tuchel has joined Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp and Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl by suggesting Chelsea will have to stop their stars from going away if it means they will lose them to a 10-day hotel quarantine confinement upon their return.
Fifa has given clubs dispensation to prevent players from joining up with their international teams in response to coronavirus and Tuchel said: “I am absolutely worried because my target is to play the Premier League and if I have players in quarantine I cannot build the group that we want.
“This is the risk and I am absolutely worried about this situation. But I am also sure that the club knows how to handle it.
“If it maybe is the consequence that the players cannot go then this is the consequence. This situation is extraordinary. We have to adapt and we will do this as a club and we will take these decisions when the decisions are taken.
“We are very concerned about the situation.”
Should Thiago Silva recover from a thigh injury in time to play for Brazil, he would have to travel to Colombia and his homeland, with both countries on the UK’s red list.
Tuchel’s priority is Champions League qualification and Chelsea took another step towards that on Thursday night with a 1-0 win against Liverpool.
They face top-four rivals Everton on Monday and the German is relishing the chance to take another scalp in Carlo Ancelotti after already securing wins against Jose Mourinho and Klopp in his early days in English football.
“Carlo knows how to keep the momentum going, how to keep the flow going,” Tuchel said. “It is good that these games are on and it is good that we have the next big, big match because that drives us, gets us out of bed early.
“It’s a pleasure to compete with this team and this group against other strong, strong managers and with their groups and to be in this competition is pure joy. It is everything that you look for as a coach.
“It is proven that Chelsea is an organisation and a club that has everything that you need to be successful as a coach and as a football team, so now it is my job to bring out the very best of myself, together with the team because there is no other way to express myself than with team performances.”
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