Thomas Tuchel says he understands why Tammy Abraham is feeling 'worried' and 'angry' about his situation at Chelsea.
The England international has not featured for the Blues since their 1-1 Premier League draw at Southampton on February 20.
Tuchel admits the decision to leave Abraham out for the likes of Chelsea’s squad for Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City is never 'personal' and that he hopes the 23-year-old will stay 'focused'.
Speaking of Abraham's situation, Tuchel said: 'Everybody is concerned when they're not in the squad but it's never an easy decision for me to take.
'I have a lot of sympathy for him and I can understand that he is worried and sad and maybe angry with me when I make these decisions.
'Sometimes we spend almost an hour talking after the last training which decisions to take and which players we have to leave at home because it's thin margins which decide.
'Tammy has had this decision now a few times against him which is never personal but this is life at Chelsea sometimes as a player.
'I hope that he does not get lost in too many thoughts because he knows not to be too concerned about his situation.
'Everything he can do is stay focused and stay with belief because the situation for a striker can change in minutes.
'We have an important training coming up and my decisions are not made yet.'
Abraham excelled during Frank Lampard's maiden campaign as Chelsea manager - scoring 18 goals across all competitions as Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup final.
However, since Tuchel's arrival, Abraham has completed just 123 minutes of Premier League action - playing in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Burnley and their 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Despite being left out of the current Chelsea squad, Abraham remains the club’s highest scorer this season.
He scored a total of 12 goals under Lampard - with three of them coming in his final game against Luton.
As a result, West Ham are said to be one of the clubs interested in Abraham's signature, should he decided to leave Chelsea in the summer.