January 03, (THEWILL) – The contentious interview of Romelu Lukaku startled many in the Chelsea locker room, and manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged that his decision to leave the striker out of the Liverpool tie came after discussions with some key players.
Lukaku stunned everyone when he gave an authorised interview to Italian media in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with his current predicament at Chelsea and revealed his deep love for Inter and aspirations to rejoin the Serie A side before the conclusion of his career.
Tuchel was unhappy with Lukaku’s comments and subsequently did not name the Belgian forward in the matchday squad for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool. The German has now stated that a number of important players agreed with him.
“I don’t take decisions in the office or around my thoughts,” Tuchel said. “I take decisions for the team and I listen to them.
“I hear their opinion, what they think and then I make my decisions once I hear them out. It is their club, their team and it is not a personal thing from me to decide only on my thoughts.
“We have a squad who we protect, which is strong in belief and behaviours. We want a clearer understanding of the situation and take a decision on a bigger foundation.”
Conversations were reportedly made with captain Cesar Azpilicueta, N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Antonio Rudiger, among others.
The bulk of the Chelsea squad is believed to have supported Tuchel’s decision, and Lukaku has gotten very little support behind the scenes, with some players even claiming that the striker is looking for a move away from the club.
Tuchel, who has stated that he has no intention of selling Lukaku, has said that he will meet with him on Monday to address the problem and get to the bottom of what he said and why he said it.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
