Yardbarker
x

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has played down his side's involvement in the Club World Cup in February for now, insisting the focus is elsewhere.

The Blues are scheduled to play in the semi-final of the competition on 9 February.

Tuchel also confirmed that Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech, who are away in January on international duty, will be available to play in the club competition.

Speaking ahead of his side's midweek Premier League clash with Watford, Tuchel insisted that his focus is not on the Club World Cup as of yet.

"We are now close to being in December," he told the press. "There is still December and January to play.

"My focus is on Watford, the selection, the rotation. My head is also what we did against Man United.

"We look a bit up front because now we have evening games and Saturday we have a 12:30 away game.

"We need to be aware of the lack of time of recovery in between. This is what we do. There are zero focus on World Cup right now..”

He also confirmed that Mendy and Ziyech would be available to play in the competition, whether or not they make it to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on 6 February.

“As I understand it, they will both (Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech) be back (from the African Cup of Nations) even if they play in the final.

"They will both be in Abu Dhabi I guess. Listen, this is in February."

More Chelsea Coverage

This article first appeared on FanNation Absolute Chelsea and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.