Just as the UEFA Super Cup is kind of a preseason friendly, but also kind of a meaningful match, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel will put out a starting lineup that reflects both sides of the coin.
“I think they (the key/first team players who have recently returned from being on extended summer holiday) could start but the question is can they finish? I think no,” Tuchel said at his pregame presser today in Northern Ireland.
UEFA Super Cup FYIs
Kickoff: Wed, 8pm, Belfast
Chelsea team news: go here
TV: BT Sport 1 (UK), CBS Sports Network (USA)
Official: Sergei Karasev, VAR: Marco Fritz
“They have eight days of training in their legs and a European final after eight days is pretty demanding. Let’s be honest: It’s too early to compete for 90 minutes at this type of level.
“We have to find a mix and clearly the guys who came in early and have more minutes deserve to start. And the majority of these will start. We have five changes but I am not a fan of planning changes ahead of the match. It’s not a preparation match, it’s our first competitive match.
“We have to consider all scenarios because there could be extra time, we could even play 120 minutes.
“We will have training today and some of the guys maybe start. Then we have to have a scenario in our heads who ends the match, who is better to come onto the pitch, who could have an influence from the bench, who is more comfortable starting.
“This is the challenge for today but it’s important not to get lost in all these thoughts because it’s a competitive match. It’s not only about sharing minutes, it’s about the first title that we want to win.”
With that in mind, we’re going with a first team prediction that is reflective of his pre-match press conference comments.
Chelsea Starting XI Prediction for Super Cup
Mendy; Rudiger, Christensen, Azpilicueta; Hudson-Odoi, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz; Werner
Super Cup Prediction: Chelsea 2, Sevilla 0
Too much quality in a Premier League title contending side for the Yellow Submarine. The Blues should cruise in this one.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.