5 Chelsea players who are struggling right now 

Chelsea have made a great start to the season, sitting on top of the Premier League table after 11 gameweeks. With qualification to the Champions League's knock-out stages all but guaranteed, the Blues will also be eager to defend their European crown as well.

Thomas Tuchel will be pleased with his team's performances so far, but there are a few players who have failed to impress the former PSG manager. Their poor form has been covered up by the team's collective efforts, but they will need to step up if they want to break into the Blues' starting line-up.

Without further ado, here are 5 Chelsea players who have struggled to deliver this season:

5. Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea spent a club-record fee to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge 10 years after signing him as a youngster. He started well with a goal on his debut against Arsenal, and looked to be on track for a high scoring season after notching two more against Aston Villa.

But those have been his only goals in the Premier League so far, and has not done enough to justify his £97.5m price tag yet. The Belgian has another goal to his name in the Champions League, bringing his total to 4 goals in 11 appearances in all competitions.

Lukaku has been injured for the last few matches and has only recently returned to full training. He will be straight back into Chelsea's starting XI when he is fit again, but the Belgian needs to step up and deliver when he is on the pitch.

4. Timo Werner

Timo Werner was a big money signing for Chelsea last summer, and fans expected him to be scoring goals left, right and center. However, the former RB Leipzig striker has still not managed to find his footing in the Premier League in his second season at the club.

While the German is making the right runs and passes, he struggles to get his shots on target. Often when he does manage to score, his goals are ruled out due to offside.

Werner has only managed to record two goals and an assist in 10 appearances this season. If he fails to improve on his current form, Lukaku will remain Tuchel's first-choice striker with Callum Hudson-Odoi taking the left-wing spot.

3. Hakim Ziyech

The signing of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax was supposed to give Chelsea the edge over opponents who sat deep and defended in numbers. However, the Moroccan has struggled to get the ball in behind enemy lines.

The forward has been sub-par in most of his appearances this season and is reportedly on the verge of leaving the club in January. Chelsea will be hoping to see some magic from the former Ajax star before he leaves Stamford Bridge.

Ziyech's only goal this season helped Chelsea beat Malmo away from home. Apart from that, he has just one assist in his 9 appearances for the Blues this season.

[Note: Ziyech scored a goal in the UEFA Super Cup against Villarreal, but as there are debates about which season the trophy belongs to, it has been omitted in the previous stat.]

2. Christian Pulisic

Christian Pulisic has been at Chelsea for over 2 years now, but has suffered from persistent injuries and fitness concerns. The American international has been struggling to keep himself fit, and seems to constantly be on the sidelines with one issue or the other.

This season has been no different. The former Dortmund prodigy has made just 4 appearances for Chelsea, scoring only once in the Blues' opening day win against Crystal Palace.

Craig Burnley told ESPN that Pulisic is still very much a talented player, but needs to work on his fitness if he is to break into the first team.

"Pulisic's issue, for me, is clear. It's not a talent issue. This is a fitness issue for him. Before he starts thinking or anyone else starts thinking where he's going to go or what he's going to do, he has to solve this. The more injuries you pick up, the more off-putting that is to potential suitors. So, he has to solve this fitness issue to start with and get consistency. Once he does that, he can get game time and then he takes it from there. But, the most important thing for him is crystal clear, he has to have a six-month period minimum for Thomas Tuchel to select. That, over the last couple of years, hasn't happened."

1. Saul Niguez

Chelsea signed Saul on loan from Atletico Madrid this summer and have an option to make the move permanent next summer. However, going by how the Spaniard has performed for the club so far, that option is highly unlikely to be activated.

The midfielder has struggled to make passes and adapt to the pace of the Premier League. His league debut against Aston Villa was one of the sloppiest in recent history by a Chelsea player. He was taken off at half-time by Tuchel, and since then, he has started just once—the Carabao Cup win over Southampton.