We had a feeling that Romelu Lukaku might play from the start today, but he’s on the bench.
The striker picked up an injury at the end of October and hasn’t started since, but after off the bench against Man U and then Watford, it seemed feasible he could play an hour today.
In the end he’s on the bench however, and Thomas Tuchel explained exactly why. As he put it, “there’s a difference between match ready and training ready.”
Thomas Tuchel on Romelu Lukaku: "I'm happy that Romelu Lukaku is pushing, he's impatient. But, there's a difference between match-ready and training-ready." pic.twitter.com/vcOG6bAtE7
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) December 4, 2021
We expect to see at least half an hour of him today in the second half, no matter what the score, and then a start against Zenit in a much rotated team in the Champions League.
We’ve lacked a bit of cutting edge in recent games, and getting a target man into the lineup will be great for Tuchel’s tactical options. Even today we could end up needing his height and strength against a formidable Hammers team.
