Player admits ‘difficulty’ at coping with Chelsea exit, explains why he moved on
AC Milan defender Fikayo Tomori has opened up on his summer move from Chelsea.
The 23-year-old left Stamford Bridge for a £24million fee after a successful few months with Milan on loan. He has since played nine times in all competitions for the Italian giants and featured in the Champions League defeat to Liverpool.
Tomori’s departure was met with contempt from some fans and pundits. The Englishman was highly rated in west London and some thought he should have been kept as a long-term replacement for Thiago Silva.
But the Blues are still competing without the centre-back. German manager Thomas Tuchel can rely on the much-improved Antonio Rudiger, Silva, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta in defence. Wing-back Reece James can also play more centrally if needed.
Tomori’s fine form in Italy means he has returned to the England setup. The player was named in Gareth Southgate’s squad ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Hungary.
He will be joined by former Chelsea team-mate Tammy Abraham. The striker has bagged four goals in ten games since joining Jose Mourinho’s Roma in a £34m deal.
Tomori was asked about his Chelsea exit in a national team press conference. He said: “It was a difficult time. Every footballer wants to play and to show themselves on the pitch and when you can’t, it’s difficult.
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“To overcome it has been good and it has gone so well so I’ve not really thought about it.”
On Abraham’s move to Roma, the player added: “Roma is a big club, Milan is a big club, there’s so much history behind the clubs. When he told me about Roma, I was telling him, yes, come and play against me.”
England play Andorra away from home on Saturday evening. They host Hungary at Wembley three days later.
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Lukaku weighs in on Chelsea debate
Club-record signing Romelu Lukaku has responded to the clash between Antonio Conte and Tuchel.
Conte said Chelsea were yet to figure out how best to use Lukaku, in a response to the striker’s dry patch.
Tuchel hit back by telling the Italian to watch the 3-0 victory over Tottenham. Despite failing to score, Lukaku was pivotal in causing Spurs’ defence all sorts of problems.
When asked about how to get the best out of him, Lukaku told UEFA: “The way I’m built – I’m quite big – everybody thinks I’m a sort of target man: just holding up the ball and being a goal poacher.
“But I’ve never played that way and I hate it. My biggest strength is that I’m dangerous when I’m facing towards the goal, because that’s when I rarely make wrong choices.
“After I pass the ball, I know where I have to position myself in the box. I can do a bit of everything and in some games when I know there is a lot of space behind the defence, I play differently.
“The reason I’m so productive [in front of goal] is because I can do a bit of everything.”
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