All is not well in the Chelsea camp as Romelu Lukaku continues to be a point of contention around the team. The club-record signing has recently been at the centre of attention in recent days after being dropped to the bench for the team’s win against Lille in the Champions League. Let’s take a look at some of the latest twists in the Romelu Lukaku saga as they happened.
Romelu Lukaku Saga Continues After Striker is Benched
Tuchel Explanation
After Romelu Lukaku’s historically quiet game against Crystal Palace that saw him make a record low seven touches in 90 minutes, Tuchel benched the striker for the midweek match with Lille. Tuchel cited tiredness as his rationale for benching the Belgian originally but it seems that he also wanted to take the heat off the wayward striker and take the spotlight away. Sadly, this decision has done the opposite with more people asking more questions than ever about Lukaku and his performances for Chelsea. It is possible that Tuchel is sending a message to his squad that poor performances won’t go unpunished, and there is no better statement to make than benching a club record signing.
According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Romelu Lukaku feels he was fit to play in the match against Lille and is hoping to convince the Chelsea boss to reinstate him to the starting line-up for the Carabao Cup final.
Thiago Silva Chimes in
In typical fashion, Thiago Silva handled the situation with all the poise that is expected of someone with his experience and leadership qualities. Silva’s comments to Sky Sports on the Romelu Lukaku saga were “He scored two key goals at the World Cup for us. We’re gonna try help Romelu, as we know his skills and how important he is for our team”.
The veteran defender, who is set to stick with the club through next season, had a very diplomatic input that seems to show the players still believe Lukaku is of benefit to the squad.
Does Romelu Lukaku Have a Future at Chelsea?
Things aren’t looking good for the Belgian right now. So far Kai Havertz operating as the focal point of the attack has been more fruitful for Chelsea. The two have very different styles with Lukaku operating as a more traditional striker living on the defender’s shoulders, but this style of play may not be the best fit for Tuchel’s tactics.
Lukaku seems desperate to make things work at Chelsea but Tuchel leaving him out of big games may be a sign that his fate is already sealed.
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