Tuchel explains Romelu Lukaku absence as he clears up long-standing Timo Werner mystery

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel says Romelu Lukaku looks a doubt for next week’s crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg clash at Real Madrid after explaining his absence against Southampton.

The Belgian striker has struggled to adapt at Stamford Bridge since a £97.5m move last summer, scoring 12 goals in 35 appearances this season. Indeed, such has been his struggles that plenty has been written about Lukaku’s future, with talk of a return to Inter Milan gathering pace.

Wherever he ends up ,Chelsea will need Lukaku firing between now and the end of the season. The Blues at least responded to two damaging defeats over the last week to record a comprehensive 6-0 win at Southampton.

However, they did so without Lukaku, who was not even part of the matchday squad due to an Achilles injury.

That restricted him to only a substitute role against Real Madrid on Wednesday, with the Blues suffering a 3-1 defeat.

And it’s quite likely they will travel to Spain on Monday for the return leg of their Champions League tie against Real without the powerful forward.

“He was not in training yesterday,” Tuchel told Sky Sports when asked about the striker. “It [his Achilles] was too much pain. It is not much time as we leave the country on Monday so I will have to wait.”

With Lukaku absent, Chelsea were at least not short of goals on the south coast. Indeed, another struggling striker, Timo Werner, helped himself to two in the 6-0 romp. That was his first Chelsea double in over 18 months.

And Tuchel was happy with the German’s performance at St Mary’s.

“He could have scored more,” Tuchel said in reference to Werner also hitting the woodwork either side of his first goal. “He had huge chances and a lot of chances.”

Werner was