Thomas Tuchel not planning January return to Chelsea for Conor Gallagher

Chelsea have no plans to cut Conor Gallagher’s Crystal Palace loan stint short in January.

Manager Thomas Tuchel has insisted the best place for Chelsea midfield talent Gallagher remains at Selhurst Park for the remainder of the current campaign.

The 21-year-old has lit up the Premier League with Patrick Vieira’s Eagles and made his senior England debut in the 10-0 San Marino thrashing.

The Blues will not tinker with their immediate plans for Gallagher however, and will assess his longer-term situation next summer.

“I have not thought about bringing him back earlier, because it’s also important for him to be happy where he is, to stay in the moment and not change the next things,” said Tuchel.

“It’s important to be calm in his stage of the career. And I feel him happy there and I think everybody is happy and it’s good he has this kind of impact at Palace and now it’s about consistency.

“He had a game with the national team and we have to process all these things. Right now if you asked me today I don’t think it’s necessary to change everything for him again in the winter.

“And it’s too early to talk about next season and way too early to talk about it in public, and before we talk about it with Conor himself, what he wants and what his goals are.

“That will happen in the summer, because we all agreed to the decision that he wanted to join Crystal Palace and Patrick Vieira’s team.”

Gallagher’s breathless midfield displays have underpinned Palace’s increasing confidence and top-flight assurance under new boss Vieira.

His hard-running approach has earned respect from England boss Gareth Southgate, and Tuchel admitted it is easy to see why.

“I’m not surprised that the national coach loves him, because I loved him from day-one,” said Tuchel.

“There cannot be a coach who does not love guys like this, humble, nice, always with a smile on their face, always ready to give everything, who wants to learn and improve.

“Also as a team-mate I would have loved to play with him, because he’s a helper. He starts running in minute one and the earliest he maybe stops running is when he takes a shower afterwards.

“It’s a pleasure to know the guy, to have the guy and I’m super happy it’s worked out so well.

“Now it’s on him to keep his feet on the ground, to keep going, and the rest we will decide, not in a rush.”