Chelsea vs Real Madrid: Sergio Ramos comeback makes Tuchel nervous

Chelsea FC manager Thomas Tuchel knows that Real Madrid CF has arrived in London with all guns blazing for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash.

The Blues came away with a 1-1 draw from the first leg at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium in Madrid. Scoring an away goal and holding the 13-time European Champions to a draw gave Chelsea the momentum, but the inclusion of Sergio Ramos in Zidane's squad list has sent shockwaves through Stamford Bridge.

Tuchel has admitted that seeing Ramos on the squad list has made it clear that Chelsea will have a tough task at their hands if they wish to reach the Champions League final. Ramos has been sidelined since mid-March, and played no part in Real Madrid's victory over Liverpool FC in the quarter-finals.

The Real Madrid squad has started to look exhausted in recent weeks, due largely to the extensive list of injuries and their congested schedule. However, the return of their captain gives them a massive advantage even if he is not yet physically in top form.

"[Sergio Ramos] is the captain, the captain of the most successful team of the last ten years and he changes a lot," said Tuchel, forgetting to mention that Real Madrid is not only the most successful club in Europe in the past decade, but they are in fact the most successful in history.

"I believe that he will start but it is not only him playing," he said. It remains to be seen if this is true, considering the fact that Ramos has not played a single minute in a competitive match for Real Madrid since March 13. He suffered an injury while playing with Spain just days later and has been recovering since then. He may not be fully fit to play an entire match, or Zidane may have been saving him exactly for this moment.

One thing is for sure, Real Madrid won't be able to win if not all players are firing in all cylinders. Chelsea already showed them in the first leg that they need to keep up with the fast-paced style of the English club.

"We have to maintain the intensity throughout the whole match. It is a semi-final and there is pressure, but arriving with confidence is very important," said Tuchel, as he spoke to the press ahead of the match.

"If you don't have it, you should not bother against [Real] Madrid. You have to feel confident and they feel it, and that is how we can go through," he added.

"We will only beat Real Madrid if we show our best level."