Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is delighted with the form of attacking trio Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz.
It will be no surprise if the German settles upon Mount, Havertz and Pulisic as his front three for first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid next month.
Each one has delivered big moments in European football’s premier club competition over the past two seasons. And Tuchel believes those experiences have been vital in the development of Mount, Havertz and Pulisic, who are all 23 years old or younger.
“There’s no substitute for it [big-game experience]. It’s the best,” Tuchel said in an interview with Chelsea’s in-house media. “Players can grow so much with these kinds of experiences. There are many ways to grow but this is really accelerating the process of their development.
“It’s good to see they are ready to take responsibility, ready to step up. And it’s so good to have them at this kind of age. They are far from having reached their top level. There is so much more to come and we can be proud to have them.
“If the players step up and take responsibility on a daily basis, fight for it heavily, set no excuses for themselves, dig in and then dig their way out of the situation, they have our full support.
“Of course, it’s sometimes a give and take. And then there is a positive cycle of improvement and support. You get positive feedback and that is where Christian is at the moment. He is decisive and that is what we demand and we will keep on pushing.”
