Romelu Lukaku: Ex England Boss Brilliantly Explains Why Belgian Is Struggling at Chelsea

• Fabio Capello believes the physicality of the Premier League is part of the reason Romelu Lukaku has struggled since making his Chelsea return
• The Belgian has managed just five Premier League goals in 17 appearances since making a sensational £97M return to Stamford Bridge
• According to Capello, Lukaku thrived in the Serie A partly because he thrived in Antonio Conte’s counter attacking style of play

Former England boss Fabio Capello has come up with a brilliant theory on why Romelu Lukaku is struggling at Chelsea.

Lukaku was left out of Chelsea’s squad for the Champions League clash against Lille on Tuesday, February 23, as the Blues placed one foot into the quarter final of the competition thanks to a 2-0 win.

The Belgian has struggled since making a sensational £97M return to Stamford Bridge in the summer, and has not bagged a Premier League goal since netting in the 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion in December.

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After recording the fewest touches on the ball by an outfield player against Crystal Palace recently, Lukaku found himself at the end of criticism as fans questioned whether he fitted into Tuchel’s system.

While speaking to Sky Sport Italia, as per Football Italia, Capello explained why he thought Lukaku thrived in the Serie A but was struggling in the English game.

‘Can’t flatten defenders in Premier League’

“Lukaku fit perfectly into (Antonio) Conte's counter-attacking style at Inter, because there were lots of spaces, he had this physical strength and pace that allowed him to flatten the defenders in Serie A,” Capello explained.

“However, Chelsea play this very different type of football with lots of short passes and Lukaku doesn't have the same spaces to move in. He also finds that in England the defenders have a similar physicality to him and hold out more.

“Lukaku had this power and space to run at defenders and turn the game around,”

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Since making a Premier League return, Lukaku has managed just 5 goals in 17 appearances in the league.

He has however scored some important goals for his side this season, including in the Club World Cup, where he scored twice.

Tuchel on Lukaku’s struggles

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Thomas Tuchel backed Lukaku to turn his form around as the Chelsea gaffer urged fans to quit poking fun at the Belgian’s struggles.

"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 has had a history of world class strikers signing for the club but struggling to replicate their form from other leagues.