Thomas Tuchel refused to rate Conor Gallagher’s full debut for Chelsea following their 3-0 defeat to Leeds United on Sunday.
Chelsea were handed their first loss of the new Premier League campaign at Elland Road as Brenden Aaronson, Rodrigo and Jack Harrison all scored to secure a deserved win for Leeds.
Gallagher was handed his full debut for Chelsea but was substituted after just 64 minutes as Tuchel attempted to freshen up his midfield, which was overrun for large parts of the game.
Gallagher, who impressed during his loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, struggled to make an impact at Elland Road and Tuchel turned down the opportunity to give his verdict on the 22-year-old’s display.
When asked about Gallagher’s performance after the game, Tuchel replied: ‘No, better not.
‘It’s not the day to talk about individual performances.’
Tuchel also dismissed suggestions that Chelsea need to sign a new midfielder before the end of the window.
‘Another midfielder? We have Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, we have Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Mateo Kovacic,’ said the Chelsea manager.
‘They’re injured [Kante and Kovacic], yes, it’s a problem. But they will come back. They’ve not disappeared.’
Tuchel is also adamant that his Chelsea players do not have an issue with their mentality.
‘I think you do, all of you, make the mistake and I feel it that they run 11km more and we lose 3-0,’ said Tuchel.
‘It is a set piece and a huge mistake and only one team should have led 1-0 and that was us. So everybody knows that they run more, it is nothing to do with mentality.
‘I don’t think it is mentality that Edou [Mendy] doesn’t take the right decision. I think it is mentality in set pieces at the moment. But not the big mentality as a headline, please.
‘Mentality in set-pieces is not good enough. Mentality comes down to discipline and to do what we should do and what makes us strong in the first 15, 20 minutes.
‘It was enough to kill the game and bring it into a direction where it was last season. If they scored the opening chance, did what they did and a win is possible.
‘Maybe you don’t believe me and I don’t see a connection that we have a huge mentality problem and that we are not ready for what’s coming.’
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