Romelu Lukaku ‘AXED from Chelsea squad to face Liverpool’ after bombshell interview as Tuchel takes massive gamble
ROMELU LUKAKU will not be in Chelsea’s matchday squad to face title challengers Liverpool.
The striker caused controversy after participating in an unauthorised interview in which he claimed he never wanted to leave Inter Milan.
And according to The Athletic, the interview has rubbed boss Thomas Tuchel the wrong way.
So much so, the German has left his near-£100million man out of his squad for Chelsea’s crucial Premier League game against Liverpool.
In the interview with Sky Italia, Lukaku, 28, said: “If there had been the offer of a new contract from Inter last summer as I wanted, we would not be doing this interview now here from London, but quietly from Milan.
“In that case I would have stayed at Inter 100 per cent last summer. No need to discuss that.
“I’m always thinking about Milano, Milano, Milano. Inter fans are the best in the world. I love the city and the best moment of my career was at Inter.
“I am in love with Italy – I have Inter in my heart.”
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Lukaku also told his former strike partner Lautaro Martinez to ‘stay in Milan’ as he will ‘be back there’.
He said: “I miss Lautaro Martinez, I could die on the pitch for him since day one I met him.
“Lautaro Martinez coming here with me at Chelsea in the future? No, Lautaro, you can stay in Milan, I’ll be back there…”
Boss Tuchel was far from pleased to hear Lukaku’s comments and said it would be dealt with ‘behind closed doors’.
On future disciplinary action, Tuchel said: “We will.
“We will do it behind closed doors and we will do it openly, like I think the relation is and has always been, so no further comments in public on that.
“I don’t like it because it brings noise that we don’t need and it is not helpful. If there is something it is behind closed doors, for sure.
“You know very well how it is to take lines out of context, it is very easy to shorten lines, make headlines and then later realise that it is not so bad and maybe not what he meant.
“But let’s be honest, we don’t like it, I don’t like it, because it’s noise that we don’t need. We need a calm environment and focus and it does not help.
“I don’t feel him unhappy. I feel the exact opposite. If you had asked me yesterday morning I would say I feel the exact opposite, that’s why it is a surprise.
“The dressing room is not necessary to be always in harmony. It is not necessary to be successful. We don’t have to love each other, hug each other every single day.
“Sometimes it’s good to be on the edge, to be a bit like in disharmony when it’s between certain boundaries.
“The thing with Romelu, I don’t think anyone in this building is aware that he’s unhappy and that’s what makes us very surprised about this statement because I can see no reason why this should be like this.”
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