‘I have players to listen to them and hear their opinion and what they think.’
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel spoke to senior players before making the decision to drop Romelu Lukaku for Sunday’s game against Liverpool.
The Belgian striker was dropped from the Blues’ squad for the Premier League clash against Jurgen Klopp’s side, with Chelsea fighting back from 2-0 down to draw the game 2-2.
Lukaku has been at the centre of controversy after an interview was aired earlier this week, in which the striker revealed his unhappiness at Stamford Bridge and spoke of his love for former club Inter Milan.
Despite scoring two goals in two games since returning from injury, the Chelsea boss made the decision to axe Lukaku for Sunday’s fixture after taking a dim view of both the comments made and the timing of them.
It is thought that the German will hold talks with the frontman on Monday, however, American broadcaster NBC have claimed that Lukaku has spoken to former teammate Tim Howard about his future.
Tuchel revealed that he had consulted senior Chelsea player before dropping the Belgian international at the weekend.
He stated: “I take decisions for the team. I have players to listen to them and hear their opinion and what they think.
“I make my decisions once I hear them out. It’s their club, it’s their team, and it’s not personal for me to decide only because of my beliefs.
“We have to protect the strong beliefs and values of the squad. Regularly we speak to five or six players to get the inside view, to have a clearer evaluation of the situation.
“This was a big match against a big opponent; a big response, and given the circumstances, where we came from and how we played was exceptional.
“Coming back from 2-0 down was immense, and there are no worries except for the result. It was a brilliant match for both teams.”
Thomas Tuchel on speaking to senior players regarding Romelu Lukaku situation:
"I don't take decisions in my office. I have players to listen to and hear their opinions about what they think and I make my decisions once I hear them out."
[via @AdamNewson]
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) January 2, 2022
Although the situation surrounding Lukaku – who became the club’s record signing when he returned to the Bridge for £97.5million in the summer – is far from ideal, Tuchel admitted his future was not up for debate.
“He’s our player, he will stay our player,” he said.
“We will always protect our players and when we make decisions like this, first we need to evaluate the situation, not listen to the media but understand what he said and why he said it.
“If the decision is he’s good to go for Wednesday for the Tottenham match, this is the decision.
“But I cannot tell you right now because we need to talk and understand the situation better.
“There’s no doubt he will stay our player, and we have to protect our players.”
Lukaku has scored seven goals and grabbed two assists in 18 appearances since his return to Chelsea in the summer.
Related links:
- Romelu Lukaku ‘texts former teammate’ with cryptic update on his Chelsea future
- Gary Neville defends Romelu Lukaku following controversial interview
- Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink slams ‘disrespectful’ Romelu Lukaku for explosive interview
