THOMAS TUCHEL has instructed Mikel Arteta to shut up about Arsenal's fixture overload, despite the fact that Chelsea has played 16 more games this season.
The Arsenal manager recently expressed his displeasure after his team was forced to play three games in a week due to the rearranged fixture.
Tuchel, on the other hand, scoffed off Arteta's whining, pointing out that Chelsea has played 54 games in all competitions this season, compared to Arsenal's 38.
"He must have reasons if he felt this way - but he also cannot compare to us in minutes," Tuchel remarked ahead of the match on Wednesday night.
"They can use it as an excuse, and we can use it as an excuse."
You can make whatever you want of the situation.
"You can use it to express how weary you are and how much of a mental and physical challenge you are facing."
"And from there, it's a foregone conclusion that it'll be used as an excuse if things go wrong."
"Or just accept it; that's what we strive for."
"I was not thrilled when Tottenham was knocked out of the Europa Conference League," Tuchel stated.
"I've seen what Antonio Conte can accomplish with teams when they're motivated and he's able to physically train them."
"Arsenal did the same thing when they were knocked out of the FA Cup."
"This would be a great boost for them since they have such a young and talented squad, and being able to focus on one thing may be beneficial."
Mateo Kovacic, a Blues midfielder, is out with an ankle injury sustained in Chelsea's 2-0 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
In the absence of N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and N'Golo Kante are set to start together in midfield.
Meanwhile, despite his recent struggles, Tuchel has stated that Romelu Lukaku can still be a "crucial player," implying that he might start at Stamford Bridge.
However, as a result of the club's punishments, the Blues will play in front of at least 10,000 empty seats.
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