EPL 2021-22: Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel to meet Romelu Lukaku after backlash over controversial remarks
Romelu Lukaku's future at Stamford Bridge hangs in the balance after the Chelsea forward claimed in an interview that he was unhappy with manager Thomas Tuchel's system.
FollowRomelu Lukaku's future at Stamford Bridge hangs in the balance after the Chelsea forward had earlier claimed in an interview that he was unhappy with manager Thomas Tuchel's system. Following the Belgian's statements that he is unhappy with the situation at Chelsea with Tuchel preferring to play 'a different formation' to the one Lukaku expected, the striker's future looks increasingly uncertain. Lukaku was also dropped for the Premier League clash against Liverpool on Sunday, which ended in a 2-2 thrilling draw.
Amidst backlash over Romelu Lukaku's controversial remarks, Thomas Tuchel is all set to meet the former Inter Milan star in the coming hours to discuss the interview with Sky Italy, his feelings and behaviour with a hope of finding a solution. Meanwhile, Chelsea has been tight-lipped following the interview that was aired on December 31, 2021. The Blues are not commenting and waiting for the German boss to make a decision over Lukaku's future in the team. Whether Chelsea will sell or offload the 28-year-old striker in the January window remains to be seen.
Romelu Lukaku, who signed from Internazionale for a club-record 97.5 million pounds, had told Sky Italy that he was not happy with Thomas Tuchel's system, adding he would like to return to Inter Milan at some point in his career. Following the Premier League game against Liverpool, the Chelsea boss declined to reveal what he would say to the Belgian striker in their Monday's meeting or whether Lukaku will return for the Blues' Carabao Cup semifinal first leg at Stamford Bridge to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
"I cannot tell you what I want from a meeting that is happening behind closed doors tomorrow. I cannot speak out publicly, and I will not," the German said.
Tuchel added that Lukaku had been dropped from the side for Sunday's Liverpool clash to avoid distracting the team. "The noise was too big. It was too much noise, we lost the focus totally for the match, and we took the decision to delay the decision," the Chelsea manager said.
Tuchel also mentioned that delaying the discussion with the Belgian striker would protect him from a rash decision. Mentioning that the team needs to maintain calm, Tuchel added, ""We need to speak to him (Lukaku), we need to read the full interview and stay calm and not lose our head. He is our player and will stay our player. We will always protect our players."
Expressing the need to evaluate the situation, the Chelsea boss also said, "When we make certain decisions like these, we need to evaluate the situation and not listen to the media or pressure but understand what he said, why he said it, and this is the meeting tomorrow. From there, we will make the decision."
According to reports, Romelu Lukaku gave the interview without Chelsea's knowledge, an act that manager Tuchel and his team have taken a dim view of. Although it is believed that the Belgian forward did not have any intention of attempting to force a move away in the January window, it still remains to be seen if his punishment, which could be accompanied by a fine, will prompt a change of heart.
