Thomas Tuchel reveals that Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku is mentally tired
According to Sky Sports, Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed that his ace striker Romelu Lukaku is mentally tired following a busy schedule in recent months.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a successful Serie A run with Inter Milan before going on to represent Belgium at the summer’s Euros. With him juggling club and international duties without a break, the player appears to have reached his limit.
Lukaku is currently going through a difficult patch and has not scored in his last six games. It represents an issue for the Blues who need their star man to perform, especially after smashing the club record to land him.
Lukaku has played ten times for Belgium since the turn of last season. An incredible amount given that he is also a regular for the club. Tuchel has no doubt that the lack of the rest is a factor in his form dropping off.
“In this moment I feel Romelu is a bit overplayed – I think he played too many competitions with the national team.”
With the Blues set to take on Malmo tonight, it remains to be seen if Tuchel will give his star man a rest. With Timo Werner in the wings, the German manager is not short of options. As things stand, the 48-year-old is in two minds regarding Lukaku.
“I feel he is a bit mentally tired. For me, he’s overplayed. It’s difficult to judge if he needs a break, or is it better to keep him on the pitch?”
Tuchel goes on to add that Lukaku is not the only Chelsea star feeling the pinch of overexerting himself. He admits that English international Mason Mount and Italian ace Jorginho are also facing similar struggles.
“They have a lot of weight to carry for their countries – they love it and they’re competitors. But if you play 1,000 matches a year it can feel heavy.”
More Chelsea News
- Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel sends a message to struggling star Kai Havertz
- Team News: Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger return to Chelsea training
- Transfer News: Chelsea target Erling Haaland could be open to a move to England next season
With the FIFA World Cup set to be held in 2022, the chances of Lukaku and co. recuperating at the end of the season seems remote. It is imperative that Tuchel shows off his excellent man-management in handling his Blues stars’ playing times.