- Romelu Lukaku has struggled since returning to Chelsea again in the summertime
- The £97.5m striker has solely scored 5 league objectives in his second Blues stint
- He additionally incensed Thomas Tuchel and followers with an explosive Sky Italy interview
- Jamie Carragher feels the alarm bells surrounding Lukaku are merely on pause
- The Liverpool icon believes Chelsea look extra harmful in assault with out him
Romelu Lukaku is a 'timebomb' within the Chelsea dressing room and no totally different to the participant who left Manchester United regardless of his success at Inter Milan, says Jamie Carragher.
The Blues forked out a club-record £97.5million price to re-sign Lukaku final summer time, and when he marked his first 4 appearances with as many objectives their funding appeared justified.
Nevertheless, the Belgium striker has solely scored one other 4 in his subsequent 19 outings; with two spells on the sidelines by harm and Covid, an explosive interview with Sky Italy and a string of underwhelming performances derailing his second stint at Stamford Bridge.
After netting 64 objectives in 95 video games for Inter Milan and serving to them clinch the Serie A title, Lukaku was alleged to be arriving again in west London as a mature, seasoned centre-forward on the peak of his powers.
However Carragher would not assume he's any totally different to the participant who departed United on a bitter observe again in 2019.
'When Romelu Lukaku signed for Chelsea, the consensus was that he was a special participant to that which left Manchester United,' the Liverpool legend wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
'Six months later, there is just one legitimate remark to make about his return to Stamford Bridge. He isn't.
'All of the speak about how a few years working with this weekend's opponent, Antonio Conte, have elevated Lukaku's sport tactically has confirmed untimely. Thomas Tuchel is managing the identical striker who prompted Manchester United to expire of endurance and promote him to Inter Milan.
'That's why I can't assist however assume there's a timebomb within the Chelsea dressing room, with the participant and membership already dropping endurance with one another. The current furore over the interview Lukaku gave to Italian media was a touch of what may comply with.
'There was a interval of calm since, but when performances proceed to underwhelm and Tuchel begins to present the impression his first selection XI doesn't have Lukaku's identify on it, it's doubtless the alarm bells have been paused, not deactivated.'
Of their current 1-0 defeat away at Manchester Metropolis and Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Brighton, Tuchel made a damning assertion on each events by hooking Lukaku when Chelsea had been chasing a late purpose.
And Carragher believes they give the impression of being rather more threatening with out him within the aspect, including: 'On paper, Chelsea look a extra balanced aspect with Lukaku. The truth is that they have been at their most fluid and harmful with out him.
'Let's not neglect earlier than Lukaku signed they gained the Champions League closing utilizing the matchwinner, Kai Havertz, as a false 9.
'Take a look at Chelsea's most full performances this season - the 4-0 Champions League win over Juventus, the very best instance. Lukaku was not within the beginning line-up as a consequence of harm.'
He then concluded: 'It's too quickly to say paying £97.5 million to re-sign Lukaku was a mistake. If there isn't any radical upturn in type and Tuchel loses belief within the striker forward of the most important Premier League and Champions League video games, it may turn out to be one.'