Chelsea don't know how to use Lukaku, says Conte

The Belgian marksman appears to have hit something of a rough patch following a blistering start to 2021-22.

Chelsea must “figure out how to use” Romelu Lukaku, insists Antonio Conte who coached the player to great success during their time together at Inter Milan.

Lukaku joined Chelsea in a £98 million deal after having restored his reputation as one of the most lethal finishers in the world in his two-year stint at Inter.

The 28-year-old striker, scoring 24 goals in 36 appearances, finished as the Serie A top-scorer in the Nerazzurri’s title-winning campaign while ended up being second-best only to Cristiano Ronaldo in the Capocannoniere race last term.

He hit the ground running at Chelsea, netting four times in his first four games, but has failed to find the net in his last four matches.

Last season, Chelsea were creating chances and there was no one to finish them.

Now, Chelsea have a finisher in Lukaku but he's not getting a lot of chances.
— Sripad (@falsewinger) September 29, 2021

“I think he can still do better, above all with his technique. He is already at a very high level, but a player must keep improving until the day he retires,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

“During the game, there are moments when Lukaku needs to be turned on, but other than that he is one of the toughest forwards to play against, because he can do damage in any area of the pitch.

“If you have a center-forward like that, you need to use him and I don’t think Chelsea have quite figured out how to use him yet.

“Last season, they didn’t have a proper center-forward, so they rotated positions, whereas Romelu is a real reference point in attack. If they can figure out how to use Lukaku, then Chelsea can become the team to beat in the Champions League this season.”