Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel have praised the reaction of Callum Hudson-Odoi following his 31 minute appearance in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Southampton at the St Mary’s Stadium.

Hudson-Odoi replaced Tammy Abraham at half-time but was withdrawn after 76th minute.

“We decided to speak to him in front of the whole group because I had my reasons to do it,” Tuchel told a news conference on Monday.

“Was it the right decision? I don’t know but it was my decision in this moment. For us in the group, we spoke as a whole group to not make it bigger than it is because for us it was not a big thing.

“I know that it could be sometimes and sometimes you reflect why you do it, should you do it because sometimes maybe the media and family make it bigger than it was meant. So I did it and we had the only reaction that we wanted.

“He went back to normal mood, to a good mood, to a smile, to training and the next day very, very good training and today. And that’s it.

“I already said after the game this was the decision for today, this was the lesson to learn from today for him and for me also and we go on and then it is forgotten.

“That is absolutely the way so in here at Cobham, between us, between us two, between me and the team business as usual and no big thing.”

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