Tuchel joins Chelsea ahead of Club World Cup final

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel has joined up with his team in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Club World Cup final after testing negative for COVID-19, the Premier League club said on Friday.

Tuchel, who tested positive last week, was forced out to sit out Chelsea's 2-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup as well as a 1-0 semi-final win over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal in the Club World Cup on Wednesday.

"Our head coach ... was able to fly out to the United Arab Emirates on Friday, having been cleared to travel after following protocol and providing a negative test result," Chelsea said in a statement.

"He has now joined his players and staff, arriving at Chelsea's Abu Dhabi base in the evening local time, shortly after the squad's last training session before tomorrow's Club World Cup final."

The European champions will face Brazilian side Palmeiras in the final on Saturday in the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Chelsea also reached the final the last time they played in the Club World Cup in 2012, losing 1-0 to Brazil's Corinthians in Japan.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)