Mason Mount and Reece James give Thomas Tuchel a glimpse into Chelsea future with a transfer ban

Throughout his Chelsea tenure, Thomas Tuchel has insisted he does not look beyond the next game. It is an approach that will likely serve him very well in the weeks ahead.

There is currently very little certainty at Chelsea following the UK government's decision to sanction owner Roman Abramovich as part of its response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The club's prospective sale is in limbo, as is its long-term future beyond this season.

As things stand, the Blues should be able to see out the remainder of the campaign through a 'Russia Regulation' licence, which lasts until May 31 and maybe tweaked by the government to ensure Chelsea do not go out of business.

Beyond that, who knows? It is almost impossible to predict. Perhaps Chelsea have been sold. Perhaps not. It's why Tuchel can't – and won't – make any big decisions until there is clarity.

"There are negotiations and talks going on about the licence. So let’s see what’s coming," the German said on Thursday. "It makes not a lot of sense for me to comment on the situation now and give an outlook to the future in the summer.

"I trust in everybody who is in charge, I trust people who are in charge in the government to find a solution that keeps us going through the season, and gives us the possibility to be in charge of our actions in the summer.

"I think this is what we can do now. We were all surprised by the news and it is too early to have an outlook on the summer."

What's best for the club is a quick sale. Chelsea, as things stand, can't buy or sell players, offer new contracts, sell tickets, and sell merchandise.

Shirt sponsor, Three, has also requested to suspend their 40m-a-year deal while sleeve sponsor Hyundai and official partner Zapp are also