Thomas Tuchel Makes Urgent Plea to Chelsea Fans Regarding Embattled Striker Romelu Lukaku

• Lukaku’s recent struggles were summed up when he managed only seven touches of the ball during the win over Crystal Palace
• The Belgian was subject to ridicule on social media following his tough outing against Palace
• Despite his struggles, Tuchel strongly backed the 28-year old as he urged fans to avoid poking fun at the embattled striker

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has pleaded with the club’s fans to stop making jokes at Romelu Lukaku’s expense after the striker’s recent struggles.

Lukaku was a topic of discussion once again after having a mere seven touches on the ball during Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, February 19.

That was the lowest number of touches any player has managed in a 90-minute Premier League match since the stats were first introduced in 2003.

Ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Lille, Tuchel boldly backed the beleaguered Belgium international, saying:

"Sometimes it's like this with strikers if they struggle a little bit with self-confidence and to find the space to get involved with a good defensive side.

Chelsea 1-0 Al Hilal: 5 things we learnt in Club World Cup semifinal

Football

"He's in the spotlight and we'll protect him. Romelu will always be part of the solution," Tuchel said.

"Of course it's not what we want and what Romelu wants but it's also not the time to laugh about him and make jokes about him."

Lukaku’s troubled Chelsea return

Since making a stunning £97.5m back to Stamford Bridge, Lukaku’s time at Chelsea has been anything but smooth sailing.

Lukaku’s spell has been plagued with issues both on and off the pitch, and he is just finding his way back to form after an explosive interview in December 2021 where he expressed desire to return to Inter Milan.

Since his return he has only managed to find the net 10 times, although some of his goals have been crucial for his team. Five of goals have come in the Premier League from 17 appearances.

Tuchel says he is not overly worried about Lukaku’s form as there is a history of world-class strikers struggling for goals after joining Chelsea. Fernando Torres and Andriy Shevchenko are classic examples.

Former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann claims Manchester United players are scared of one teammate

Football

How the Premier League table looks after round 26

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s win over Crystal Palace helped the Blues tighten their grip on third place on the log.

Manchester City were the biggest losers in match-week 26 of the Premier League after they suffered a 3-2 loss in the hands of Tottenham.

Despite the defeat, City remain top on the standings with 63 points, six ahead of second-placed Liverpool who have a game in hand.