In a recent interview (via Football.London) following Chelsea‘s 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge last weekend, Thomas Tuchel revealed his reason behind Tammy Abraham’s exclusion from his match-day squad as the German head coach said,
“We have 21 strong players and only 18 possible, so hard decisions. It’s my job to take hard decisions, this was the decision for 18 guys. Tammy was not with the group.”
Abraham’s Up And Down Season At Stamford Bridge
Abraham has mostly been a regular starter after Tuchel was appointed the Blues head coach earlier this year. However, based on his explanation, it seems like the English striker is currently not part of Chelsea’s 18-man match-day squad. This latest development will be a bitter pill to swallow for Abraham as he has shown some signs of maturity with his performances this season.
The 23-year-old has made 30 appearances for the West London outfit this term, finding the back of the net on 12 occasions and providing six assists in multiple competitions. Despite his decent goal-tally, the London-born sensation has struggled to be consistent with his all-around contributions in the final third as he is averaging 1.6 shots, 0.5 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He has also given away the ball cheaply at times after completing only 72.8% of his attempted passes in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
What Are The English Marksman’s Best Attributes?
Abraham is a powerful runner with the ball and can use his strong 1.96m frame to overpower the opposition and win some important aerial duels in the final third. He can get himself into some dangerous areas inside the penalty box and has transformed himself into a decent finisher in front of the opponent’s goal.
The English centre-forward can also find the back of the net with some bullet headers, which makes him such a potent threat up top. However, his all-around link-up play has been far from convincing as he tends to give away the ball cheaply at times in the attacking third.
Does Abraham Have A Long-Term Future At Stamford Bridge?
In Abraham’s absence, Olivier Giroud has stepped up and scored a crucial away goal for Chelsea in their UEFA Champions League Last 16 tie versus Atletico Madrid. Hence, it is no wonder that Tuchel has reinstated the Frenchman as his first-team starter while Abraham is left pondering on the sidelines about his long-term future at the club.
The six-time England international is under contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2023. Therefore, Abraham could still turn his career around because he will have plenty of time to prove his worth to Tuchel, especially when Giroud is unavailable due to injury or fixture congestion in the remainder of his campaign.
