Thomas Tuchel insists cancelling players’ day off was ‘no punishment’; Marcos Alonso spat ‘solved’

Thomas Tuchel has drawn a line under Saturday’s incident with Marcos Alonso and insisted that cancelling the players’ day off on Sunday was “not to punish them”.

The German coach watched his out-of-form side pass up a two-goal lead at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Wolves scored twice late on, with the equaliser from Conor Coady seven minutes into stoppage time.

It was another disappointing result, with last month’s 1-0 win over West Ham their sole win in the last five games. Their run of poor form has seen Arsenal threatening them for a third-placed finish.

Tuchel cancelled the players’ day off on Sunday. Instead he brought the first-team squad into the Cobham training ground for extra sessions.

The German coach insisted the extra day’s work was the opposite of a punishment. And instead wants them to close ranks.

Tuchel also dismissed suggestions of a fallout with Alonso. The pair had a disagreement during the Wolves clash, with the 31-year-old then substituted at half-time as Chelsea switched formation.

Alonso was upset at the calls from the bench after he gave the ball away against Wolves.

But Tuchel says the matter has been dealt with and is now history.

Asked about any issues with Alonso, Tuchel replied: “It started and ended in the first half, and was not continued at half-time or anything else.

“It was not continued at half-time, things are solved, and that happens.

“We came in on Sunday. We’d planned a free day but after the disappointment it was not even to punish them.

“It was normally a free day and of course maybe some felt it was a punishment but it wasn’t.

“It’s not the moment for a free day. I explained to them, it’s better to be together and talk about it than to go, everybody has his own opinion and