Romelu Lukaku out of isolation, training Tuesday and expected to be in the squad vs Arsenal
PLUS - First words from his first official interview, and new media at Cobham from Monday's session!
Chelsea announced the signing of Romelu Lukaku last week for a club record fee just under £100m.
The boy came home, but this time he returns as a man.
I’ve been buzzing for this signing after accepting we will not sign Erling Haaland. Lukaku is literally the next best thing, and make no mistake, we have signed a world class striker and he is exactly what we need.
As myself, Dan (Macca), and cfcnewspage all exclusively reported (from our own different sources ironically) and maintained before anyone else, Lukaku had to quarantine on arrival in England until Monday, hence the odd photos of his unveiling which could have been anywhere in the world!
He has been staying in a hotel at Cobham since he arrived and training alone. The media were not allowed to report this at the time and had to wait for Thomas Tuchel to report it, but as we are not strictly media and use inside sources, we reported it! One of the many benefits of being with us here in this community!
Anyways, Lukaku is expected to be in his first Chelsea training session on Tuesday providing he gives back a negative string of covid-19 test results. And it looks like he definitely has as he’s been at Cobham on Monday doing a load of new media, the proper stuff….
Then, he is also expected to be in the squad to play against Arsenal on Sunday and is highly likely to make his debut there.
It’s hard to guess what Tuchel will do but as long as Lukaku trains all this week then I wouldn’t be surprised if he isn’t handed a start on Sunday.
Incidentally, it turns out Lukaku was a massive driver of this deal himself and he really wanted to return to Chelsea, despite his public PR comments before the move. But this is great to hear, you just know he will now bleed blue and do anything for this badge.
Here are Lukaku’s first words from his first official interview with the Chelsea website… If this doesn’t excite you, then nothing will!….
“It was a good win [vs Crystal Palace] and the manner in which we won with a dominant 3-0 score line and creating a lot of chances. We also pressed and recovered the ball high. We didn’t really get into any problems so it was good.
“Hopefully we can keep that level of performance up. We’re going to have to because the Premier League is very difficult but I’m looking forward to this challenge.
“I just feel more complete [since the first time he joined Chelsea]. I’ve tried to master all the facets that a striker needs and I just want to keep improving on the small details all the time and keep improving on my strengths as well.
“I just want to try to help the team win and be available for the manager as well as for my team-mates. I want to make sure that they feel comfortable and they can lean on me in whatever situation we’re in.
“I’m a leader but I’m also more of a gel person, making sure that everybody feels comfortable and confident. That’s the way I lead. When I was at Inter and when I’ve been captain of the national team, I make sure that everybody is confident and knows what they have to do.
“When there’s a difficult moment in the game, they can lean on me and I’ll always be encouraging my team-mates, never being down on them or barking at them. I try to stay positive and make sure that we win the game because that’s always the most important thing.
“The conversation was really clear from him [Tuchel], that he wants me to be a presence and a leader in the team. I have to just use all my abilities to make sure I can help the team as much as possible.
“My role will depend on what the game plan is and what the boss wants me to do. If he wants me to be a focal point or if he wants me to attack the spaces in behind, I can do it. The two years in Italy helped me master all the facets of the game for a striker and now I’m ready.
“I like the system that we play and I’m very flexible. I can play as a two or by myself and I’m used to the system because it’s what we play with the Belgian national team so I don’t need much time to adapt. It’s just knowing the strengths of my team-mates in important positions and knowing what we do off the ball, then I can do the rest.
“Italy is tactically and technically a better league but here in England, it’s all about the intensity. That’s what makes the difference but it’s no problem for me because I’ve been here for eight years and I know what it’s all about.
“It’s not like I’m a new player coming in and not quite knowing what to expect. I know the league, I’ve scored a fair amount of goals here but the past is the past and now we have to look forward.
“I’m a new version of that player from before. I’ve evolved and the team that I’m joining is a very strong team so now we just have to prove it on the pitch by challenging for the Premier League.
“I don’t really talk about my personal ambitions but they lean with the club’s ambitions. That’s why I came back. Chelsea wants to keep winning, keep growing as a club and really dominate in England and Europe. That’s something that I wanted and I’m here now so it’s up to me to help the team achieve its potential.
“Our relationship [Lukaku and Drogba] means the world to me. It’s not like we talk once a month, I talk to the guy every few days! We have a group chat so we’re constantly communicating and I’ve been on the phone with him a bit more in the past two weeks.
“I had a lot of questions to ask and he still knows a lot of people here so he really prepared me well with the last details. Now I just need to get to know the players and the manager a bit better and just be available as quickly as possible for the team.
“I’m ready [to play vs Arsenal] so it’s just about getting into the team and trying to prove myself to the coaches that if I’m needed, I can play. We all have to compete throughout the week to earn our starting spot.
“For me it’s going to be a new fight but we’re all fighting for one cause – to make sure that Chelsea win! I’ll make sure that in training I give 100 per cent every day and make sure that I’m ready for each game.
“I’m happy the first one is a big game away at Arsenal so hopefully we can prepare ourselves well and get a good result.”
Simon Phillips