Chelsea will do whatever it takes to advance in their Champions League last-16 second leg tie at Lille on Wednesday, despite dealing with UK government restrictions, manager Thomas Tuchel said.
Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the government and under the terms of a licence issued by the government, Chelsea's operations are limited.
Tuchel said the European champions had to make adjustments in how many staff are travelling and staying in Lille, with an operations team taking care of all their needs.
"We have to deal with it. There are new things to talk about, like how to arrive at games. Things that are normally taken care of," Tuchel said on the eve of the return leg in France, with Chelsea leading 2-0 from the first game at Stamford Bridge.
"We have a framework to go to Lille and play in Lille. There will be no excuses. It's already more difficult to arrange things in the best way possible for the FA Cup [quarter-final at Middlesbrough on Saturday].
"As long as we have shirts, as long as we are alive, we will arrive, be competitive and fight hard for our success. We owe it to the people who normally support us. Of course, we're in the spotlight but this is our responsibility."
Tuchel added that he did not have a choice in being the voice of the club in a tumultuous two-week period and said he would continue to face questions about any new owner.
Chelsea 2 Lille 0 player ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy 7 – A quiet game overall for the stopper, who distributed the ball well, and held on to just about every goal-bound shot. EPA -
Andreas Christensen 7 – Read the game beautifully to help shut down Lille’s threat from wide areas. Having said that, the impressive Renato Sanches did have the beating of the Danish defender once or twice. EPA -
Thiago Silva 8 – Another dominant performance from the former PSG man. The 37-year-old shut down Jonathan David with relative ease, massively blunting Lille’s attacking threat in the process. EPA -
Antonio Rudiger 6 – Very nearly sliced the ball into his own net early on, but that aside, the German was relatively solid. Reuters -
Cesar Azpilicueta 7 – The captain led by example once again. His relentless work rate set the tempo, having nearly assisted for Havertz inside the first few minutes after a run forward. AFP -
Mateo Kovacic 7 – Not one of the Croatian’s best games, although his ability to keep the ball ticking over throughout did help to demotivate Lille in the first half. AFP -
Hakim Ziyech 7 – Assisted Havertz for the home side’s opener, fizzing in a teasing corner that was duly headed home. While not as influential in the final third as his striking partners, the playmaker certainly left his mark on the tie. PA -
Kai Havertz 8 – Could have had a hat-trick inside the first 10 minutes. The German’s header from Ziyech’s corner was well directed, while his excellent movement starkly contrasts with that of a certain other Chelsea forward right now. Reuters -
SUB: Saul Niguez 6 – Retained possession nicely in the final 30 minutes. Reuters -
SUB: Timo Werner N/A – Looked bright in the closing stages but didn’t see much of the ball. AP Photo -
LILLE RATINGS: Leo Jardim 7 – Could do very little about either of Chelsea’s goals. The Brazilian did however pull off a handful of decent saves. AP Photo -
Mehmet Zeki Celik 5 – A poor outing from the full-back, who was dragged out of position time and time again by the impressive Pulisic. AFP -
Sven Botman 6 – The towering centre-back’s lack of mobility was on full display against Chelsea’s nimble attackers. That aside, he generally looked solid, avoiding any glaring mistakes. Reuters -
Tiago Djalo 5 – Pinned back for virtually the entire game. The Portuguese full-back was replaced in the second half. AFP -
Amadou Onana 6 – Linked up well at times with Lille’s front three, although he was caught out of position far too often when Chelsea had the ball. Reuters -
Xeka 6 – Gave the ball away cheaply on more than one occasion. A passenger throughout for the French side. Reuters -
Benjamin Andre 7 – Worked hard from the advanced midfield position. While his efforts often went unrewarded, his ball retention was impressive. Reuters -
Renato Sanches 7 – Lille’s danger man throughout, as he wasn’t afraid to take on – and beat – Chelsea’s defenders. The 24-year-old also showcased his range of passing with a handful of raking cross-field balls. Reuters -
Jonathan David 5 – A very disappointing outing for the highly promising Canadian. With chances few and far between for the away side, David’s flat-footedness will surely have frustrated his manager. Reuters -
Jonathan Bamba 7 – Lively in the final third, although the end product was often lacking. Showed flashes of how good he can be. AFP -
SUB: Edon Zhegrova 6 – Was well marshalled by Chelsea’s back three after replacing David, who similarly struggled to find space. AFP -
SUB: Gabriel Gudmundsson 6 – A mistake free cameo from the Swede, who slotted into left-back for the final 20 minutes. Reuters -
SUB: Burak Yilmaz 5 – Couldn’t make the ball stick up top for the away side, with Chelsea controlling possession late on. EPA
"A new owner needs to arrive, needs to be approved, and then be allowed to own the football club. Then we can discuss about it, if it's necessary," Tuchel said.
"There is a process how you become an owner in this league, and of course ... everybody relies on the process and the values which are behind the decisions and allowance to run a club.
"I don't think too much about it (being the voice of the club). I try to be honest, give you an insight and give you information from a coach's heart. This is what I try and what you can rely on."
Cesar Azpilicueta is back from illness for Chelsea and Thiago Silva is expected to return to the rearguard after enjoying a complete rest in the Newcastle win.
Tuchel is expected to start Marcos Alonso and Christian Pulisic ahead of Malang Sarr and Timo Werner.
Lille manager Jocelyn Gourvennec should be able to welcome defensive midfielder Benjamin Andre back from illness - a timely return with Renato Sanches picking up yet another injury against Saint-Etienne.
