“We will protect him” – Tuchel says ‘emotional’ Lukaku wants to ‘clean the mess up’ after Chelsea row

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has shown support for Romelu Lukaku in light of the striker's recent controversial interview. He stated that the Belgian is "very committed" to the team and that the club "will protect him."

Lukaku recently gave an interview to Sky Sports Italia, criticizing Tuchel's plans. He also expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan just five months after joining Chelsea last summer. You can read his interview here.

On the back of this, Tuchel decided to drop the striker from Chelsea's squad that drew 2-2 with Liverpool. However, ahead of their EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Tuchel has backed the Belgian. He said in a press conference:

"He is aware of what happened and he created and feels the responsibility to clean the mess up but there may still be a smell of course. We are happy that he is our player and we will protect him. If someone strongly disagrees, this is about the team with everything we do."

The Chelsea manager stressed that Lukaku is committed to the team. He said:

"He is very committed. That is why it was so surprising to me. He scored against Villa and then the next game but he was there and decisive. I never, before the interview, had the slightest doubt that he was not committed. He is an emotional guy, he does not hold back with his opinion."

Tuchel further added:

"We should not just blame him and point on the negative side of it, we have to adapt. It created some noise that you don't want but there are zero doubts in his committment to the team."

Lukaku was seen in training sessions post Chelsea's match against Liverpool. It seems likely that the Belgian will feature in the EFL Cup semi-final match against Tottenham Hotspur.

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A tough January month for Chelsea

Chelsea have fallen 10 points behind Manchester City in the Premier League title race. The gap could extend further in the month of January.

The Blues have already faced fellow title contenders Liverpool on January 2nd. Their January fixtures also comprise leaders Manchester City and rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

In addition to this, Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur twice in the EFL Cup semi-finals as well. The only respite for the Blues is the FA Cup third round fixture against Chesterfield at Stamford Bridge.

Hence, the month of January will be a crucial month for Chelsea's 2021-22 season aspirations.