"Lukaku absolutely needs them as well" - Jason Cundy claims the Belgian's poor performances at Chelsea are due to the absence of 2 key players

Former Chelsea player Jason Cundy believes Romelu Lukaku has missed the duo of Ben Chilwell and Reece James.

The two full-backs are unavailable due to injuries, and Chelsea have suffered from their absence both defensively and in the attacking third.

Lukaku, in particular, seems to have been affected as the Belgian has struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.

Chilwell and James are good defensively and are dynamic going forward. Thomas Tuchel’s three at the back system worked well with the two mobile wingers.

While Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta have done well in those roles, it’s clear that their impact is not the same.

Cundy explained that Chilwell and James are the two most important players in Tuchel’s system and their absence has affected both the team and Lukaku.

"There's been a number of reasons why that gap has not closed. We haven’t played particularly well of late. We draw too many games. The two wing-backs missing, that has totally debilitated the way he wants to play. They are probably the two most important players in his system. Lukaku absolutely needs them as well."

Chelsea will hope their record-signing can improve in the second half

While Ben Chilwell has been ruled out for the entire season, Reece James might return in March if not February.

Chelsea might yet add another full-back before the January transfer window closes to aid their silverware hopes.

Lukaku too will hope for a better showing in the second half of the season. The Belgian started off well at Stamford Bridge, scoring four goals in his first four games.

But an injury layoff followed by a controversial interview has made things a bit difficult for him at the club.

There’s no question that he has underperformed since his big-money move from Inter Milan last summer.

Having mustered only five goals in 16 Premier League games, Lukaku needs to find his scoring boots after the winter break to prove his doubters wrong.

Chelsea will need their forward to be among the goals starting in February as they will be involved in as many as four cup competitions.