Champions League: Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku is 'part of the solution' for attacking struggles

Lukaku set a Premier League record for fewest touches in Saturday's win over Crystal Palace

Thomas Tuchel insists Romelu Lukaku is "part of the solution" to getting Chelsea firing despite the Belgian's struggles for form.

Though the Blues have lost just one game since the start of 2021 and remain well placed for success in a number of competitions, including the Champions League ahead of Tuesday's round of 16 first leg against Lille (catch all the action on Paramount+), their attack has largely struggled to catch fire. For instance, Tuchel's side average four fewer shots and 0.6 fewer expected goals per game than Manchester City. That means Chelsea are more reliant on their defense to grind their way to points.

No forward has more visibly struggled than club record signing Lukaku, who set a new record for fewest touches in 90 minutes of a Premier League game since Opta began tracking data, registering just seven in Saturday's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. The Belgian has not scored in a top flight match this season (his three goals have come in the FA Cup and the Club World Cup) and acknowledged in December that he has struggled to fit into Tuchel's system.