Romelu Lukaku has no intention of leaving Chelsea next summer and is determined to make the most of his second season at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku was benched for Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Lille after a string of poor performances, and he now faces a fight to restore his place in the team after Kai Havertz shined in his absence.
Following the Blues’ 2-0 win over Lille, rumours from Italy suggested Lukaku was anxious to return to Inter in the summer, with some even claiming he had already contacted his previous employers to attempt to finalise a contract.
While Lukaku is dissatisfied with the circumstances, he does not intend to leave the club just yet, as he wants to make his second stint at the club a success.
Lukaku is said to be concentrating on establishing himself to manager Thomas Tuchel with the goal of starting the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on Sunday. He believes he is in good physical shape and is ready to go if given the green light.
Indications however show that Tuchel believes his squad performs better with Havertz at the helm, a belief bolstered by Chelsea’s victory against Lille.
Tuchel is not opposed to starting Lukaku on Sunday and intends to give both the Belgian and Havertz a chance, although the latter is expected to receive the nod following his impressive performance midweek.
The manager will also assess the fitness of Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic, who both limped off against Lille. However, it is believed that they were only suffering from knocks and not serious injuries.
Following their own injuries, Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi both returned to squad training on Thursday, while Mason Mount is poised to play on Sunday after overcoming an ankle injury.
