Tuchel explains why he dropped ‘tired and exhausted’ Lukaku
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 22 Feb 2022 20:00 GMT
- 3 min read
Thomas Tuchel says record signing Romelu Lukaku's absence from the Chelsea starting XI against Lille is due to the fact he is "exhausted."
Lukaku has been dropped to the bench for the first-leg of Chelsea's last-16 Champions League tie against Lille, with Tuchel opting to play Germany international Kai Havertz through the middle, and Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech either side of him.
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The Belgian striker, Lukaku, managed just seven touches in Chelsea's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend, and received plenty of criticism on social media for his poor performance.
He has struggled to make a telling impact at Stamford Bridge all season, but things have appeared worse since his infamous interview with Sky Italia aired in late December.
Speaking to the media ahead of Chelsea's clash with reigning Ligue 1 champions Lille, Tuchel revealed just why Lukaku was dropped to the substitutes bench.
What has Tuchel said?
When asked why Lukaku wasn't included in the starting XI, Tuchel replied: "I felt him a little bit tired.
"He looked a bit exhausted and you have to consider that he’s played a lot.
"We’ve had extra time [in the Club World Cup final], a lot of travelling recently and it wasn’t easy for him against Palace, this wasn’t his best performance.
"So maybe it will be a bit easier for him to come on from the bench tonight and turn things around if we need him.
“The two systems are not too different, we played 4-1-4-1 against Palace and now we have closer distances in passing. We have four players for the counter-attacks and if in doubt then go with what everyone is used to. We felt no need to change it.
“Perfect stage for the underdog to overperform, Lille are a physical team, disciplined team and have absolutely nothing to lose. It makes their preparation easier but we are here to give them a hard time, implement our style and intensity and take care of the result by performance and work rate.”
Lukaku has scored five Premier League goals this season, and has notched twice in the Champions League so far this campaign.
Chelsea host Lille in their first knockout game of the 2021/22 Champions League, hoping to defend the trophy following their triumph last season.
