London (AP) – Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel has left open a return of striker Romelu Lukaku after his interview statements and the suspension for the game against Liverpool.
“He’s our player, he’s our player, we will always protect our player,” said the Chelsea coach after the 2-2 draw in the Premier League game against Liverpool. You first have to assess the situation and “understand what he said and why he said it,” said the former Bundesliga coach.
Lukaku gave the Italian branch of Sky Sports an interview without consulting his club. There the 28-year-old Belgian complained about too little time and indirectly criticized Tuchel. “I’m physically fit. I’m just not happy with the situation, but that’s normal,” said Lukaku. “I think the boss decided to play with a different formation.” He also said he hoped to play again for his former club Inter Milan at some point.
Interview with Lukaku announced
Lukaku had only moved from Milan to London in the summer. With the equivalent of around 115 million euros, it is the most expensive transfer in Chelsea’s club history. Tuchel reacted angrily to the interview and described Lukakus’ statements as “not helpful”. For the game against Liverpool, he deleted the attacker from the squad.
Tuchel announced another meeting with Lukaku for Monday. Then he will decide whether he will return for the League Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. “I don’t make decisions in my office. I have players that I listen to and whose opinions I listen to,” said Tuchel. “It’s your club and your team. I don’t take it personally.”
Shortly after the game against the Reds, Tuchel had shown himself to be forgiving. It is “also not the worst thing in the world,” said the ex-Dortmund coach. He did not feel personally attacked. The topic caused too much noise, which is why “we lost focus on the match,” he said.
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