Romelu
Lukaku and Timo Werner will miss Chelsea's next two games against Norwich
and Southampton due to their respective injuries, Thomas Tuchel has
confirmed.
Werner (hamstring) and Lukaku (ankle) were both forced off before half-time
in their 4-0 Champions League win over Malmo at Stamford Bridge.
Christian Pulisic will also be unavailable for their game against Daniel
Farke's side as the forward continues with his recovery from an ankle
injury.
Tuchel said: "To make the question a longer one, how is Pulisic too? They
are all out tomorrow and probably the Southampton game and then we will see.
"What I can tell you for sure is they are both in treatment, positive and
not worried but out of the next two games for sure.
"I don't think it makes sense to go into speculation about how long [the
players will be sidelined for] because you never know. Things can be shorter
than expected or longer than expected.
"Both are feeling positive and not too worried."
Chelsea's head coach said he did not regret playing Lukaku against Malmo
despite stating before the game that he thought the Belgian striker was
overplayed during the international break.
The injury setback comes as a blow for Lukaku who has begun life back at
Stamford Bridge in fine form, scoring three goals in seven Premier League
games since returning to the club from Inter Milan.
Tuchel added: "Mentally he is a bit overplayed but that does not mean we
have to rest him. Jorginho and Mason Mount are in the same spot. It is like
this, they have played in a lot of competitions.
"This is what we felt with Romelu so we encouraged him to trust his
instincts, let us do the thinking and the structure that he will be able to
have the last contact."
Chelsea have a busy playing schedule with five games in the space of 15 days
and Tuchel will need to adapt his starting XI on Saturday given the two
high-profile absentees.
One suggestion has been to play Kai Havertz further forward, with the German
having deputised up front alongside Callum Hudson-Odoi after Lukaku and
Werner were substituted on Wednesday.
Tuchel said: "He [Havertz] is not a false nine because he is very strong in
behind the last line. When he plays as a nine, we want this from him and he
did it against Malmo.
"Kai was not on his personal highest level so it was necessary that he
waited some matches. He did what he needed to do and he worked hard."
Norwich travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday bottom of the Premier League
and winless in the top flight so far this term while Chelsea have won their
last four in all competitions and sit top of the division.
Compatriots Tuchel and Farke were once coaching colleagues at Borussia
Dortmund, with the Norwich boss running the Bundesliga side's reserve team
for two seasons while Tuchel took charge of first-team affairs at Signal
Iduna Park from 2015 to 2017.
Chelsea's manager said of his opposite number: "I like him a lot as a person
firstly, he is very humble.
"We had close exchanges and a very good manager as well in terms of a
person.
Norwich manager Daniel Farke says on-loan Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour
is happy at Carrow Road despite having limited playing time in recent weeks
"I'd have liked to have been a player under him as he gives you lots of
confidence and trust.
"I hope we have the better end tomorrow. We will do everything we can to get
the win."
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