Jamie Carragher has stated that ‘alarm bells’ will start ringing if Romelu Lukaku doesn’t start for Chelsea against Liverpool in the League Cup final on Sunday, as he told CBS Sports on Paramount+ (22/02/22 at 10:05 pm).
The Liverpool legend thinks Lukaku will leave in the summer if not selected, after he was an unused substitute during Chelsea’s 2-0 Champions League first-leg knockout tie against Lille on Tuesday night.
This past weekend, Lukaku endured a game to forget when he only touched the ball seven times during Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Crystal Palace.
It was suggested that the 28-year-old was being rested last night, it remains to be seen if that’s the case because the first trophy of the domestic season is on offer when Chelsea meet Liverpool at Wembley.
If Lukaku isn’t in the XI and Tuchel opts to play Kai Havertz in that forward role, then Carragher feels it’s curtains for the club’s big-money summer signing.
“I think the big thing at the weekend, we are talking about the cup final now,” said Carragher. “We don’t know, yet to see what the team is.
“But I think not playing in a Champions League knockout game, then not playing in a cup final. I mean alarm bells will be going if I was Lukaku.
“I don’t think he is the type of player you can have on the bench. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe he will be on the bench long-term. We are seeing that with Timo Werner right now. But Lukaku is a bigger name. Bigger presence and he is a better player than someone like Werner.
“If they go with Havertz and almost like a different system, like a false nine, then I don’t think we will see Lukaku at the club next season.”
As strange as it sounds, Liverpool would probably want to play against Lukaku in this form.
There is so much pressure on the Belgian’s shoulders and it’s clearly affecting his form and Chelsea’s.
Without him, they looked much more fluid and Tuchel has a very big call to make at the weekend.
The last time Chelsea faced Liverpool – their 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge – Lukaku was left out because his interview with Sky Italia had just been published.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how this one pans out on Sunday.
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