Tuchel opted to start Timo Werner ahead of Lukaku as Chelseas’ two second-half goals gave them a 2-0 victory against Palace
By Kehinde Okeowo
Chelsea won the London Derby against Crystal Palace after a cagey first half between the two Premier League sides in FA Cup semi-final tie at Wembley Stadium on Sunday
Thomas Tuchel, who benched Romelu Lukaku during the encounter his side won 2-0, later explained that left him on the sideline because the Belgian international lacked match fitness.
Tuchel opted to start Timo Werner ahead of Lukaku as Chelseas’ two second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount in the 56th and 76th minutes respectively gave The Blues a 2-0 victory against Palace.
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Explaining why he did not start Lukaku, Tuchel during his press conference after the match said: “He is not fit enough for the intensity of our game in an FA Cup semi-final.
“It is not easy to come into a game such as this with so much riding on it after a spell out with injury.”
He went on to say the injuries prevented him from having enough playing time to get fit for the encounter.
He added, “It is just a case of him not having as much minutes recently as the other players, his match fitness is not quite there otherwise, there is a big chance that he would have started today.”
