The winners & losers of Thomas Tuchel's appointment at Chelsea

A new era is underway at Stamford Bridge.

While some Blues fans continue to mourn the sacking of club legend Frank Lampard and refuse to look ahead, the rest of them are eagerly awaiting the debut of new coach Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday evening.

But which players can expect to become regulars in the former Paris Saint-Germain coach's plans, and which former favourites may find themselves outside the circle of trust by the end of the season?

90min runs through the potential winners and losers within the Chelsea camp following Tuchel's appointment in west London.

WINNERS

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Let's face it - Kepa Arrizabalaga has been a major loser at Chelsea for some time now. He was fortunate last season that there was no competition waiting in the wings to replace him, and now that Edouard Mendy is at the club, he has been forced to surrender his place in the side.

But Tuchel is believed to be a fan of Arrizabalaga (presumably he hasn't watched any Premier League football in the past 18 months) and could give him another shot between the sticks. Brave or stupid? You decide.

Antonio Rudiger

Rumours have swirled in recent days regarding Antonio Rudiger's attitude and the part he played in Lampard's downfall, but football moves quickly, and that could all soon be forgotten.

In truth, he did seem to have won back his place in the team, completing 90 minutes in Chelsea's last two outings, so long may it continue under Tuchel!

N'Golo Kante

N'Golo Kante has been a regular in Chelsea's midfield this season, although the lack of structure and balance to the side has left him looking exposed and playing some of his worst football since joining the Blues.

What better coach to guide him then, than one who loves a 4-3-3 and will surely place the Frenchman at the base of his midfield? Prepare to see prime Kante back on the pitch.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Even the staunchest of Lampard fans eventually grew frustrated at their coach's reluctance to start Callum Hudson-Odoi in the Premier League, especially considering the flashes of genius he showed during his cameos. The starlet is considered to be a gem of English football in Germany, and Tuchel must have a plan to get the best out of the talented winger.

Kai Havertz

Just watch this guy explode. The misuse - or misunderstanding - of Kai Havertz was one of the major factors that led to the Chelsea board's loss of faith in Lampard, and the world is waiting for the £62m man to prove his worth. In Tuchel, we may have a tactician capable of unlocking the German wonderkid and transforming his fortunes from flop to superstar over the next five months.

Christian Pulisic

It's been a stop-start season for Christian Pulisic, who, having demonstrated his potential under Lampard last year, had that platform ripped from beneath him this time around. Timo Werner's arrival meant that the American had to share the left wing as his coach tinkered with tactics, and the lack of rhythm has seen his form nosedive. Time to recapture early 2020 vibes, Christian.

Timo Werner

That pained expression etched across Timo Werner's face is one we've grown far too accustomed to over the past six months. Lampard managed to strip the forward of any confidence, took the odd dig at him when things weren't going his way, and generally alienated the previously prolific forward.

Watch out now though folks, he's going to come out swinging under Tuchel.

LOSERS

Edouard Mendy

If Arrizabalaga is a winner, that makes Mendy a potential loser. The Frenchman has looked steady enough since replacing the Spaniard, but even then, he has not exactly inspired confidence. Tuchel may consider neither keeper up to standards come next season, and Mendy's dream could already be over.

Thiago Silva

We're not necessarily expecting Thiago Silva to lose his place in the side, but he did say this after Tuchel was sacked by PSG: "It's difficult but it was predictable that this was going to happen. Not now, but being inside, we knew there were situations that had to be changed." Awkward...

Andreas Christensen

For some bizarre reason, Lampard decided to put his faith in Andreas Christensen and send Fikayo Tomori away from Stamford Bridge instead. How different things may have turned out had Tuchel arrived a week or so earlier.

Either way, we can't see Christensen impressing the German coach too much, although the Dane did enjoy a successful spell in the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Mason Mount

Mason Mount was arguably the biggest winner of the Lampard era. He learned his trade under him at Derby, rose to the Chelsea first team with his coach at his side, and was handed the captain's arm band in Lampard's final game at the club.

Unfortunately, we can't see the impressive midfielder enjoying such glory under new management. With competition for places hot in the centre of the pitch, Mount may miss out in the Tuchel regime.

Billy Gilmour

If Mount struggles for game time, then Gilmour will have no chance. The youngster was handed sporadic opportunities in the Blues' lineup under Lampard, but those days may well be over.

The former Chelsea boss did suggest Gilmour may go out on loan, and that could become even more certain over the next few days.

Tammy Abraham

Should Werner be given the green light as a central striker and hit the ground running, then Tammy Abraham could find himself back down the pecking order.

Lampard's insecurities over his best starting XI saw the 23-year-old handed plenty of chances, but if Tuchel possesses more clarity in his ideas, then it could signal a spell on the bench for another of Chelsea's youth academy products.