Thomas Tuchel has revealed why he shouted at Jorginho during Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final win against Crystal Palace.
Chelsea reached the FA Cup final for a third successive season after beating Palace 2-0 at Wembley on Sunday, thanks to goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount.
Jorginho played 77 minutes of the contest before being replaced by N'Golo Kante, but was guilty of wasting possession on a number of occasions and Tuchel was seen berating the midfielder from the touchline.
What's been said?
The Chelsea boss has now admitted that he was too "hard" on Jorginho, who he believes is suffering from burnout after another hectic season.
Tuchel also thinks Italy's surprise exit from the 2022 World Cup qualification playoffs is weighing heavy on the 30-year-old's shoulders, as he told reporters on Tuesday: “He played injured, sacrificed for the team. I think you see it now. You can never underestimate how much pressure is on playing for the national team, the country, for Italy.
"The demands are high after big success like winning the Euros. I think he really felt the pressure there, everybody for Italy felt it. This is normal. Sometimes after big successes, it's very difficult to keep on going.
"He put a lot of responsibility naturally on his shoulders because he is never shy to do so. He is never shy to do it here, this is why I love him.
"It’s true, I was very hard on him during the match. He had some situations he could do better and normally does. It is never personal. I love Jorgi. I know that he knows it.
"We see now we overused him, I have the feeling we see the consequences of these huge number of matches.
"If he plays he is always fully involved, gives everything and plays with a lot of effort. He has to be absolutely fresh to have the influence he normally has.
"He is not mentally, physically in the freshest moment at the minute. He is not to blame. It affects how I analyse it, he had two or three situations where he could do better [vs Palace].
"Nothing personal. Nothing that stands between us.”
Have Chelsea overused Jorginho?
Jorginho's appearance against Palace marked his 41st outing in all competitions in 2021-22, as he has once again played a key role in Chelsea's hunt for silverware on multiple fronts.
The Italy international has started 34 of those games, recording nine goals and four assists, and could be in line for a well-earned rest when the Blues welcome Arsenal to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Chelsea will, however, still need a fully fit Jorginho over the coming weeks as they seek to make sure of a top-four spot and end the season with a trophy - with an FA Cup final date against Liverpool on May 14 now looming large on the horizon.