Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel has provided a very simple explanation for his decision to drop Romelu Lukaku for Chelsea’s Champions League clash against Lille on Tuesday night.
Lukaku was not in Chelsea’s first eleven for the game after the Belgian struggled to kick the ball in their weekend 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, making only seven touches throughout the period he lasted on the pitch.
Tuchel opted to bench the Belgium international and began with an attacking trio of Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic.
“I felt him a little bit tired,” Tuchel told reporters when asked about Lukaku’s absence.
“He looked a bit exhausted and you have to consider that he’s played a lot.
“We’ve had extra time [in the Club World Cup final], a lot of travelling recently and it wasn’t easy for him against Palace, this wasn’t his best performance.
“So maybe it will be a bit easier for him to come on from the bench tonight and turn things around if we need him,” he said.
Chelsea defeated Lille 2-0 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic giving the advantage ahead of the second leg in France.
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