Former Tottenham and Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood believes Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel should not consider starting Kai Havertz at the moment.

The German international started Tuchel’s first match in charge against Wolves but was subsequently dropped for the 2-0 win over Burnley last weekend, and Sherwood thinks the club’s record signing should be kept on the bench:

“I think he was brought in to get the best out of the German boys, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. But at the moment you can’t play Kai Havertz. In my opinion, he’s a liability. He might be a good player in the future but at the moment they’re just carrying him. I wouldn’t play Havertz but I think he might be under a little bit of pressure to play Havertz.”

Tuchel likely has his own plan in place to manage Havertz’s development and it will be interesting to see how much game time the 21-year-old gets over the coming weeks.

The attacking midfielder has undoubtedly struggled in the Premier League, with no goals and just one assist in his last 13 appearances but there is a real talent there, which Sherwood even eludes to.

Whether Tuchel will give Havertz a start tonight, it remains to be seen, but if he is named in the eleven for the London derby, it may suggest that the new manager is keen to build a team around him.