Prove a point, Tuchel tells Havertz and Hudson-Odoi

LONDON • Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel will hope his rallying cry to Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi has the desired effect, after damaging injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner.

Belgium striker Lukaku (ankle) and Germany forward Werner (hamstring) limped out of the 4-0 Champions League win against Malmo on Wednesday.

Tuchel expects the duo to miss at least two matches, so the spotlight will be on Havertz and Hudson-Odoi when winless Norwich arrive at Stamford Bridge for their Premier League clash today.

The pair combined well to create a goal for Havertz against Malmo and Tuchel said: "It's always necessary to prove it for our players, so I would say to them, 'Prove a point now'. Everybody is invited to join the race for minutes on the pitch.

"And when they have minutes, they need to show the hunger, to be decisive in the box."

When asked about how long he expects Lukaku and Werner to be out, the German added: "To make the question a longer one, how is (Christian) Pulisic too? They are all out tomorrow and probably the Southampton game (in the League Cup on Tuesday).

"What I can tell you for sure is they are both in treatment, positive and not worried but out of the next two games for sure."

The Premier League leaders should not be too worried even with their main strikers out in today's battle of top versus bottom.

Chelsea have scored 16 goals in eight games, which is six fewer than second-placed Liverpool's tally, but they have conceded only three goals in their new-found defensive resilience under Tuchel.

In contrast, Norwich have yet to record their first win and have now gone four top-flight games without a goal since Teemu Pukki's effort against Watford last month.

But manager Daniel Farke, who worked with Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, is confident the goals and the wins will come for his side.

"My strikers know how to score," he said. "This is what they have done all their life. It's important not to overthink it."

Norwich will be without Billy Gilmour as he misses out against his parent club, while Todd Cantwell, Sam Byram and Christoph Zimmermann are out with injuries.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE