Chelsea take on Norwich City in the Premier League this weekend and the Blues will be without forwards Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner for this match.
The duo started the Champions League clash against Malmo in midweek but both of them had to be taken off before half-time and speaking after the match, Thomas Tuchel had hinted that Werner and Lukaku could be out for some time.
“If I knew before I wouldn’t have done it. But you can’t know it before and it was necessary that he was on the pitch and he started very strong,” he said, as per Sky Sports.
“I spoke with him about the situation, that I think he carries a bit of mental fatigue around with him. I think that is also normal but he is our number nine and is our reference upfront.
“It’s not a muscle injury or because of physical fatigue. He is a little bit overplayed, this is my opinion and maybe I’m not even right. But this was a moment to give him confidence and let him play. I don’t regret it, things like this can happen. It was bad luck.
“Romelu twisted his ankle with the foul in the box and Timo has a hamstring injury. It will take a while for both of them. We need more examinations to be more precise but they will be out for some matches.”
How will the Chelsea front line look against Norwich?
Given the nature of the injuries, it’s almost certain that neither Timo Werner nor Romelu Lukaku will play against Norwich City on Saturday.
And even if the pair is fit, Tuchel will not risk using them against a side who are sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table with two points.
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It does not make sense to hurry Romelu Lukaku or Timo Werner back into the side as the Blues have an enormous squad. But with the pair set to miss out, the manager could make a slight change in formation.
Kai Havertz will likely lead the line as the lone front man with two advanced midfielders playing just behind him.
Mason Mount is going to be one of those playmakers while Hakim Ziyech and Loftus-Cheek will fight it out for the other spot. Christian Pulisic is out injured so he’s not in contention.
The Blues boss also has other players like Ross Barkley and Hudson-Odoi but we don’t think Tuchel will consider using them.
Here’s how the front-three could look against Norwich:
UPDATE:
The Chelsea boss has confirmed that Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner will miss out against the Canaries.
‘There is no big news for Romelu and Timo,’ said Tuchel in his pre-match press conference.
‘They are out for tomorrow and they are out for the Southampton game, and from there we see what’s next.’
