Tuchel: Chelsea need a new generation of defenders
Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel was pleased with the performances of Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kalidou Koulibaly on Saturday, but with a combined age of 100, he knows the club needs a next generation of back-line players.
Chelsea, who beat Everton 1-0 in the opening round of the English Premier League, lost 29-year-old Antonio Rudiger and 26-year-old Andreas Christensen at the end of last season after they moved to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, before signing Senegalese Koulibaly from Napoli.
"We are very happy to have players like Azpilicueta, Thiago and Kalidou, but it is also important that we have the next generation to eventually take over from them in the coming years," the German coach told the club's website.
"The game is highly dependent on the physical aspect," he added. "This is the reality, so we need other players to take turns playing with these players."
"In general, the reality is that the back three, the goalkeeper and the two central defenders of Jorginho and N'Golo (Kante) are all in their thirties."
"That is the case and while we are very happy with these people, we also need to think about the future," Tuchel continued.
Chelsea, who finished third last season, host London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
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