Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has explained the decision to start playmaker Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech against Juventus.
The Blues endured a difficult weekend of Premier League action, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City thanks to a second-half striker from Brazilian frontman Gabriel Jesus.
Tuchel was criticised for his defensive team selection as he fielded five defenders along with a flat midfield three consisting of Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante as the west London club failed to register a single shot on target against the Citizens.
Ahead of their highly-anticipated UEFA Champions League clash against the Italian giants, the former Paris Saint-Germain head coach admitted the game in Turin was the perfect time to bounce back.
"Of course, we can play better, we want to play better - the next possibility to bounce back is a big one, it's Champions League and Juventus, so it's a great opportunity," he told BT Sport pre-match.
He also explained the decision to start Havertz and Ziyech, saying: "Yes, of course, they will always come [in] because we have a good squad but not the deepest squad in terms of numbers so it's clear we need everybody.
"We have a lot of competitions to play, a lot of competitions where we want to compete on a high level, so yeah it's exactly like this. We have five changes, it's good to know and good to have."
The German also praised his opponents: "They are (streetwise)! Of course, it's always special to face big teams like Juventus, organised experienced teams like Juventus. A club famous for the mentality of winning and used to winning trophies and big games.
"It's quite a challenge. It reminds me a little bit of the game we played last season against Atletico Madrid. A tough team, mature team, experienced team.
"You need a lot of patience and at the same time passion and we need to be confident and intense to implement our style and be able to win."
