Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed Ben Chilwell has needed extra time to catch up with his teammates after Euro 2020.
Chilwell has not featured in any of Chelsea's first three Premier League matches.
"For Ben Chilwell, it's very easy," Tuchel explained. "He came back with the latest group [after the Euros and holiday].
"When he arrived Marcos Alonso had five weeks in his legs from pre-season. He played the first competitive matches after a fantastic pre-season. He was simply way more ready physically which was natural because of the training session and his fantastic games.
"He played the Super Cup final and three Premier League games. Also, we only have three substitutions allowed and this is a huge problem."
The German continued: "Chilly needed his time in training to adapt to the intensity. He is ready now but now wasn't the time to push him into the cold water.
"It is a bit sad because you have more tactical opportunities if you have five changes. I don't understand the arguments of the little teams that they have a disadvantage in this case. I was also a coach of a little team and I would have loved to have five players available.
"I would have made them run 16 kilometres against the top teams. I think it is a huge disadvantage in general in Europe but why do I complain?"
Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!