Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is still hopeful of joining up with the Blues squad next week after contracting Covid-19 in the build-up to the Plymouth FA Cup game.
A statement on the Chelsea website confirmed the news: "Thomas Tuchel has tested positive for Covid-19.
"The Chelsea head coach will now follow necessary self-isolation protocols and hopes to join up with the team in Abu Dhabi later next week.
"The team fly out for the Club World Cup following this afternoon's FA Cup clash with Plymouth Argyle."
The German manager follows on from his compatriot in Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp, being absent from the dugout this season with the Liverpool boss missing the clash at Stamford Bridge back in December due to the virus.
Numerous Chelsea players have contracted Covid this season and Tuchel has previously portrayed his displeasure in seeing the Premier League continue when his side were decimated with Covid cases.
However with the situation calmed down significantly since, it's somewhat of a blow to Chelsea to lose their lieutenant on the side-lines for the immediate future with the Club World Cup involvement now up in the air, despite the Blues' hopes that he can recover in time.
He even said to the Chelsea website that he hoped he and his side would be able to escape this situation, virus free, ahead of travelling to Abu Dhabi.
"I hope we have no more injuries and I hope we don't struggle so much from Covid," Tuchel said on Friday.
"I trust the players and like I said, some players really stepped up like Malang. Trevor Chalobah is now in a better shape after his re-injury and we have Andreas Christensen [had Covid too previously] back in the group.
"We experimented a little with a new system and a new formation that gives us a better chance to be a bit more flexible and have some new positions where we can improve from there.
"I’m very calm. I still have trust in what we have. Everybody needs to step up and of course the group is not very big, we can struggle when we have injuries, but if there are doubts [over a transfer in], I have learned better not to do it and to trust in what we have, and also my job is to find solutions and bring out the best in all of us."
So, what does this all mean for the Club World Cup and whether or not Tuchel can attend?
football.london understands that the west Londoners are meant to be flying out after the home FA Cup tie against Plymouth on Saturday lunchtime and now, this will obviously happen without Tuchel.
The team are scheduled for open training on Sunday, so it's likely that Anthony Barry and co will step up to keep the players on their feet before the semi-final next Wednesday.
With just under 4 days before the semi-final event at the Mohammad Bin Zayed Stadium, Tuchel will hope he can complete his isolation quickly by returning negative Covid tests in the forthcoming days before being granted permission to travel.
