Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel said 22-year-old Conor Gallagher, could prove to be a “big asset” for the club after the midfielder made his case for a spot in their first-team with a solid performance in a 2-1 pre-season win over Club America in Las Vegas.Gallagher, who impressed in a loan spell at Crystal Palace last season, played 45 minutes on Saturday as Mason Mount sealed victory for Chelsea in the 83rd minute, after Timo Werner’s opener was cancelled out by a Reece James own goal. “Conor trains at a really high level, and you can clearly see it was the right decision to let him go on loan,” Tuchel told reporters after the win. “He made a huge step in his development at Palace and became an England player. “It was a very good start for him. Now it’s important he gets used to our principles of the game, to understand when to move and when not to move, and his work rate is outstanding... He can be a big asset for us.”

Chelsea will also take on Arsenal and Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC in the United States before finishing their pre-season preparations with a game against Serie A’s Udinese in Italy. Tuchel also made an honest admission regarding Ethan Ampadu’s best position ahead of the new season. The Welsh international has returned from a loan move at Venezia, and despite finishing bottom of the Serie A, Ampadu enjoyed success in Italy. Making 29 appearances in the league, the 21-year-old played in a variety of roles, including in both midfield and defence. “Ethan did very well. The position is a good position for him in the middle of the back three. He played a lot of vertical passes and did not play left to right only. He played through the lines with his passes and dribbles.”