With just five goals in the Premier League this season, Romelu Lukaku has turned into a massive liability for Chelsea but Thomas Tuchel has admitted that the forward needs a minuscule chance to get up and running again.
The forward got a lot of opportunities to prove himself during the first half of the season but since the busy winter schedule has ended, Tuchel has chosen to put his faith in Kai Havertz as his main striker.
Havertz has repaid that trust with some very important goals but the Chelsea boss still seems to have full faith in Romelu Lukaku.
“I don’t think he needs inspiration as such, but he needs that one moment, that one spark,” Tuchel said in his press conference on Tuesday.
“He maybe would’ve been a natural starter against Crystal Palace given the minutes Kai [Havertz] has played and the matches recently, but after a period of injury he lacked the fitness for matches.
Thomas Tuchel considering to start Romelu Lukaku against Arsenal tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/86Bwm6qkSy
— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) April 19, 2022
“I don’t point the finger at him, it’s just a fact.
“Compare the difference in Brentford and Southampton, and the two legs against Real Madrid, you see the effort we put into become a winning team and this is what we need.
“Romelu should’ve had a goal against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace, but if he plays we need all that he has.”
Will Romelu Lukaku come good in the Chelsea vs Arsenal tie?
The Belgian forward is expected to start on Wednesday so it’s quite natural that his manager will back him before this high-profile encounter. No manager will want his main centre-forward going into a big game with his shoulders drooping.
Tuchel has to rotate his players to rest them so Lukaku is likely to replace Kai Havertz up top but we doubt if he is going to achieve anything noteworthy against the Gunners.
🚨 Chelsea are prepared to let Romelu Lukaku leave this summer, with Inter Milan and PSG interested in signing him.
(Source: 90 Min) pic.twitter.com/2d43ghb4bp
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 17, 2022
Lukaku’s last goal in the Premier League game came in the last week against December against Brighton so it’s very hard to put money on him scoring against Arsenal.
Yes, the Gunners have seen a slump in form in recent weeks but the likes of Gabriel and Ben White are more than apt at keeping a player like Romelu Lukaku at bay.
Chelsea played an FA Cup tie on Wednesday so Kai Havertz needs to be rested and this is the sole reason why the Belgian will be coming into the starting line-up.
With the kind of form that the 28-year-old has displayed this season we really don’t expect him to suddenly rise from the ashes when Arsenal come to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
