"It is a joy to be his coach" - Thomas Tuchel admits he is a big fan of Chelsea star

  Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel expressed his admiration for Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The German was speaking in an interview ahead...

 

Chelsea gaffer Thomas Tuchel expressed his admiration for Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic. The German was speaking in an interview ahead of the Blues' clash against Newcastle United this weekend.

Here's what the German manager had to say about Kovacic:

"He is a fantastic team player, I was a huge fan of him at Real Madrid. I remember him at Clasicos, I saw such big potential in him. He has such a passion for training, it is a joy to be his coach. We want to simplify his game a little bit and not look for a third or fourth solution as he already has a first and second."

Following their emphatic win against Southampton in midweek, the attention has once again turned to the Premier League, as Chelsea take on the Magpies for the first time following their £350million takeover. Kovacic has played an instrumental role in much of what has transpired at Stamford Bridge in the last couple of years.

He has netted two goals and has clocked 11 assists in the Premier League. The Croatian midfielder is a match shy of making 100 Premier League appearances for Chelsea. Sadly, according to Thomas Tuchel, it will be a while before Kovacic can celebrate the magnificent feat.

The Chelsea gaffer revealed that Kovacic picked up an injury in training and will be out for a few weeks. Here's what he said: "You have just reminded me, he suffered a hamstring injury in training and will be out for some weeks."