Thomas Tuchel has conceded that he made a mistake in playing Romelu Lukaku against West Ham United after admitting the striker was not at the level of fitness required to play an influential role for Chelsea on Saturday afternoon. The Blues took an early lead through Thiago Silva but were unable to hold on to their advantage, ending up on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline at the London Stadium.
Arthur Masuaku’s bizarre late winner clinched all three points for West Ham, who remain in the Premier League’s top four after their hugely impressive start to the campaign.
Meanwhile, Chelsea dropped down to third in the table after leading the way for the majority of the season to date.
Lukaku, who has struggled with an ankle injury in recent weeks, was named on the substitutes’ bench by Tuchel and was introduced at half-time.
However, he was unable to inspire the Blues to victory, registering just 16 touches of the ball at the tip of his side’s attacking trident.
The Belgian striker was only making his third appearance since returning to first-team contention and looked some way off the pace during his time on the pitch.
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Tuchel went on to insist that he made a mistake by bringing Lukaku on for the entirety of the second half, conceding that he was not fit enough to perform at his best.
“It’s my fault,” the German boss told Chelsea’s official website.
“I don’t think he is ready for 45 minutes physically but still we decided to bring him on for his height because we lost Kai [Havertz].
“Kai had a crucial role in defending set-pieces, which is a huge threat from West Ham, so this is on me. I took the decision so it’s my responsibility.”
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Chelsea have struggled to maintain their usual form in recent weeks, with the Blues winning just two of their last five Premier League matches.
However, Tuchel is adamant that there is no cause for concern, with the 63-year-old declaring that a quick fix will soon be found.
“It’s details and you can always solve the details,” he added. “There is no need to question the big picture and no need for major doubts.
“In my opinion, it’s obvious why we did not have the result that we wanted against Man United and West Ham so it’s about details. That’s why I think we can sort it out straightaway.
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“Nobody wants to make mistakes but it won’t help if we just say: ‘Hey, don’t make mistakes anymore.’
“We have to go through it and we need to be better in decision-making in crucial moments of matches to be able to have clean sheets or concede a maximum of one.”
Chelsea will be looking to return to winning ways in their final Champions League group stage match against Zenit on Wednesday evening.
They will remain without the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell and N’Golo Kante, who are still recovering from their respective injury problems.
Meanwhile, Havertz may also be a doubt for the trip to Russia after suffering a knock that rendered him unable to continue against West Ham.
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