Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was asked about Romelu Lukaku and Tammy Abraham ahead of the European Super Cup clash against Villarreal on Wednesday.
The Blues ended last season on a strong note with the Champions League trophy, and they now have the chance to win another piece of silverware at Windsor Park.
Ahead of the game, Tuchel was asked about the impending arrival of Lukaku, but he refused to confirm the transfer agreement or speak about the striker.
He said: “I am absolutely not in the position to announce anything, and I will maybe refuse to talk about players who are not at Chelsea, as we are also in a matchday mindset.
“This is not the moment for personal discussions of our squad.”
Elsewhere, Abraham has been tipped to head for the exit door. Roma are reported to have already agreed a deal, but the striker has yet to decide to join them.
Tuchel refused to update on the situation but confirmed that Abraham will be part of the matchday squad to face the Yellow Submarines tomorrow night.
He added: “Unfortunately not, I cannot update there. I have no clarity on that and like I said earlier, I will not comment on the situation.
“Tammy is available, he is here with us and he is in the squad.”
However, he went on to hint that the England international could be heading for the exit door as he is not happy with the lack of minutes earlier this year.
“What I will say about Tammy is that he did some good preparation matches – he was clearly not happy with how much he played in the last half year,” he said.
“So maybe he has reason not to be happy with that. Maybe it was also my fault not to push him or trust him as much other players, and I can absolutely understand that he wants more minutes.”
Lukaku recently confirmed the first part of his medical in Milan. It could only be a matter of time before he rejoins the Blues on a club-record deal worth £97.5 million.
Abraham’s future appears away from the European champions. While Roma have agreed a deal, the 23-year-old prefers to join London rivals Arsenal.
The Gunners have yet to make an approach for Abraham, who was the Blues’ joint top scorer last season with 12 goals across all competitions.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Read: Arsenal ready to meet wage demands of Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham.
