Thomas Tuchel hopes Marcos Alonso's decision not to take the knee will spark a fresh debate about the issue of racism after Chelsea defender said pre-match gesture was 'maybe losing its strength'

Thomas Tuchel believes players opting not to take the knee may lead to fresh debate about the battle against racism.

Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso has joined Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha and Brentford's Ivan Toney as Premier League players who stand rather than kneel ahead of kick-off.

Players have been taking the knee since Project Restart in June 2020 with Alonso claiming 'maybe it's losing its strength'.

Tuchel, who will again be without goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for Wednesday night's Carabao Cup tie against Aston Villa, said: 'Maybe it takes sometimes an action against a routine to wake up again and have another good discussion.