The German boss benched his side’s star striker after a disappointing performance against Crystal Palace.
Romelu Lukaku touched the ball only seven times in his last appearance for Chelsea, receiving widespread criticism for his unfocused performance. The Blues still managed to clinch a narrow win over Crystal Palace.
However, the Belgian striker’s performance convinced Thomas Tuchel to bench him for his side’s next game. Lukaku remained on the bench during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Lille in the first leg of the Champions League’s round of 16.
In a post-match interview, Tuchel explained his decision to exclude Lukaku from his lineup.
“This was not the moment after the match where everybody was focused on the few touches he had to put him right away into the next fire,” he said (via 90min).
“It was the moment to take a step back. That was the decision and you can clearly see we had a strong win but almost every question is about Romelu. The focus is huge.
“There are nine other players that didn’t play and we should never forget it is a team sport. I think he was tired, a little bit exhausted, lot of extra time, lot of travelling like some of the players.”
What is next for Chelsea?
The question remains whether Tuchel will keep Lukaku on the bench for his side’s next game. The Blues are preparing to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Both sides have won their respective Champions League games against Lille and Inter with 2-0 results. However, the bookmakers favour to clinch the title.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Chelsea
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
