Thomas Tuchel's 'untypical' Southampton test prompts Kai Havertz Chelsea selection conundrum

Thomas Tuchel pondered whether Southampton might prove a good opponent to kick Chelsea back into life after consecutive defeats to alter the mood at Stamford Bridge this week.

"If you turn it around like this...they will not let us fall asleep. That is clear." Tuchel said on Friday. Ralph Hasenhuttl's side are known for the high level of pressing, which caused issues for Chelsea back in October.

Even with attention already turned to next Tuesday's second leg at the Bernabeu, Chelsea can ill-afford another leg slip with rivals starting to appear in the rear-view mirror. How Tuchel approaches the trip to St. Mary's Stadium is hard to anticipate.

Every word Thomas Tuchel said on Southampton vs Chelsea, Real Madrid, Mendy, Kante, Lukaku, more

Tuchel confirmed in Friday's press conference that both Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ben Chilwell are still out.

When pressed on Hudson-Odoi's back problem, Tuchel stressed, "it's a matter of weeks. It's a setback". There are also concerns over both Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech, with late fitness tests needed.

By my count, Tuchel has tried at least four formations in the last two games, probably a sign of how little things have gone to plan.

The 4-3-3 used against Brentford was replaced with the more customary 3-4-2-1. But at 2-1 down to Real Madrid at the interval and the Blues consistently exposed by Real Madrid in the first half, Tuchel switched back to a 4-3-3, apart from Edouard Mendy's howler seemed to limit space.

Tuchel detailed Southampton's varied approaches in the two meetings earlier this season, stressing how taxing both encounters were. "Either they play a 4-4-2 with a heavy, high pressing line of six players which they did in the first match of the season, which they like