Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel says it was “unfair” to leave Billy Gilmour out of the matchday squad for the 0-0 draw against Manchester United yesterday evening.

A lot of attention was focused on Tammy Abraham‘s omission, but Tuchel also pointed to Gilmour’s absence, saying the fact that he has so many options available to him inevitably means some will miss out:

“We can nominate 18 players, plus goalkeepers so it is clear. It was also an unfair decision for Billy Gilmour because Billy played well in the cup and he was very, very strong in training.”

With Gilmour having played just one game under Tuchel so far, in the 1-0 win over Barnsley in the FA Cup last month, the senior management have now decided that he needs more game time. Reports suggest that he will be in the squad for tonight’s Under 23 game against Leicester.

The Scotland international will probably be extremely frustrated by Tuchel’s decision not to let him leave on loan in the January transfer window. Unless he convinces the manager that he deserves to be above the likes of Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in the pecking order, he could be set for a long spell on the sidelines.