Poch: Both sides to blame over Lukaku

Mauricio Pochettino said both sides must take their share of the blame for the long-running standoff between Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku with the striker's future seemingly no closer to being resolved.

The Belgium international, who cost £97.5million when he signed from Inter just over two years ago but has not played for the club since May 2022 and has not been given a squad number this season, has made clear his desire to leave.

On Lukaku's prospects of being reintegrated into the team, the boss said that nothing has changed since pre-season, despite the injury to summer signing Christopher Nkunku and the club's failure to lure Michael Olise from Crystal Palace this week.

"The situation [with Lukaku] was clear before we arrived between the club and the player," he said. "For us, there's nothing to do.

"It's not only one side. It's two sides. It's two sides to try to find the best solution. You cannot put it only on the club, the situation. It's both sides. The situation is where it is because of two sides. It's like when you have a player in or a player out. It's because both sides arrive to an agreement.

"The situation is how it is, we cannot change. We were informed before we signed, the situation on every single player, and after we signed we had the squad we had. I think it is so clear, nothing changed.

"If there's something to inform, the club will inform."