Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is considering punishing Romelu Lukaku for his explosive interview with Sky Sports Italia, where the Belgian striker expressed unhappiness with Tuchel’s tactics and shared a desire to return to Internazionale, the Serie A club.

At present, the German coach is considering dropping him from the squad, ahead of the English Premier League fixture at Stanford Bridge, against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Lukaku could also be exempted from Chelsea’s match-day squad completely. Further, the striker might also have to pay a fine for giving an unauthorised interview. 

Tuchel responded to Lukaku’s interview saying, “We don’t like it, of course. It brings noise that we don’t need and it’s not helpful. We don’t want to make more out of it than it actually is. It is easy to take lines out of context, shorten lines, make headlines and then realise later that it is not so bad and maybe not what he meant…We need a calm environment and focus and this does not help.” 

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While Tuchel was quick to point out that he didn’t find Lukaku to be unhappy, the manager was cautious in stating that Lukaku’s opinion should be sought out in this matter. An already injury-riddled Chelsea squad has been facing further woes due to COVID infections. Tuchel had previously spoken about the pressure on the team and pointed out the Premier League’s decision to continue with fixtures as unfair. Now, this recent controversy with Lukaku will only add more strain on the squad. 

Chelsea has seen a recent dip in form, due to these issues, and are 11 points behind table toppers, Manchester City. Tuchel has also shared his thoughts about Pep Guardiola’s ‘relentless‘ side, saying, “They know what it takes to produce these high-point seasons over and over again. We will never stop believing or pushing but we have to be realistic. It is a winning machine. It is not only about having an advantage, it is making it an advantage. They are good. Very good. They are relentless. We have to admit where we come from one year ago. When you look at 2021 [last season’s league table], we are 20 points behind. You have to be careful that you are ambitious but not over-ambitious and do not to get frustrated by not catching Man City in the first half-year.” 

Tuchel’s Chelsea faces Guardiola’s ‘winning machine’ on January 15.