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Tuchel: It’s my ‘fault’ Ziyech hasn’t been able to show his ‘potential’

Thomas Tuchel has accepted responsibility for Hakim Ziyech’s recent struggles and admits it his ‘fault’ the star hasn’t been able to show his ‘potential’.

Ziyech signed for Chelsea in a £37m deal from Ajax during the summer and made a positive start to his career in the Premier League, scoring two goals and providing a further two assists in his first four league appearances after recovering from a pre-season injury.

The Moroccan international found himself sidelined with a hip injury over the festive period and has failed to find his best form since, whilst he has been a peripheral figure since Tuchel’s appointment as manager last month.

Ziyech has not featured in any of Chelsea’s past four Premier League fixtures and his absence has led to speculation the 27-year-old is unhappy at the west London side, though Tuchel has suggested the star will be handed his opportunity in the coming weeks and has taken responsibility for the summer signing’s struggles.

“It is my fault,” said Tuchel at his pre-match press conference. “It is my decision.

“In the positions we see him the strongest, there are some hard decisions. That is a good thing because we have quality. Hakim is suffering from these decisions at the moment.

“It is my fault that he cannot show more of his potential but when I look at the schedule, we need all our players and when the moment comes we expect the best Hakim Ziyech.”

Chelsea travel to face Southampton in the Premier League tomorrow lunchtime before a Champions League meeting with Spanish league leaders Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

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Read also – Please, can we not spend the next decade pitting Mbappé and Haaland against each other?

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