4 Chelsea players Thomas Tuchel consulted before decision to drop Lukaku revealed: Reports

Thomas Tuchel consulted five or six Chelsea players before deciding to drop Romelu Lukaku from the squad to face Liverpool on Sunday, according to The Athletic [via The Mirror].

Lukaku made headlines for the wrong reasons last week. The Belgium international admitted in an interview with Sky Italia that he is not happy with his current situation at Chelsea and even expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan.

The striker's comments were not well received by the Chelsea manager. The German tactician eventually decided to leave Lukaku out of the Blues' side that faced Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Omitting Lukaku from Chelsea's squad for their crucial clash with Liverpool was a bold decision from Tuchel. However, it has emerged that the 48-year-old held talks with five or six Blues players before leaving him out.

According to the report, N'Golo Kante, Antonio Rudiger, Jorginho and Cesar Azpilicueta were among the players Tuchel consulted before dropping Lukaku from the squad. If reports are to be believed, the Belgian has little support from his teammates following his explosive interview.

It remains to be seen if Tuchel has plans to reintegrate Lukaku back into the team. The striker joined Chelsea from Inter Milan for around £100m last summer but appears to have already fallen out with the manager.

Lukaku scored in each of Chelsea's last two Premier League matches prior to their clash with Liverpool. However, the former Manchester United frontman could now be forced to sit out for a while as punishment for his comments.

---

What did Romelu Lukaku say about his situation at Chelsea?

Despite only joining Chelsea last summer, Romelu Lukaku said that he is not happy with his situation at the club. He also claimed that Thomas Tuchel has decided to play with another system.

Furthermore, Lukaku expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan in the future, sparking talk of a move away from Chelsea. He said:

"Physically. I am fine. But I'm NOT happy with the situation at Chelsea. Tuchel has chosen to play with another system. I won't give up, I'll be professional. I am not happy with the situation but I am professional and I can't give up now."

He added:

"Now, it's the right time to share my feelings. I have always said that I have Inter in my heart: I know I will return to Inter, I really hope so. I am in love with Italy, this is the right moment to talk and let people know what really happened."