Thomas Tuchel has revealed his reason for not using Romelu Lukaku against Everton, citing that Jorginho's substitution at half-time played a role in the striker's omission. The Belgian forward was an unused substitute and watched on as the Blues suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to his former club at Goodison Park.
Richarlison put Everton ahead early in the second half after a mistake from Cesar Azpilicueta. A series of top saves by Jordan Pickford subsequently denied Chelsea an equalizer but when the visitors needed a goal the most, they turned to Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech for inspiration instead of their club-record signing. Still, the current Champions League title holders struggled to create many clear-cut chances for them to fashion an equalizer.
Following the conclusion of the afternoon's encounter, Thomas Tuchel revealed that there was little he could do with regards to Lukaku's involvement. Quizzed on why he didn't get the Belgian strapped in for the clash, he replied: "Because we brought Jorginho off. We only had three changes.
"If there is something I could do, I would try it," Tuchel added.
"The key for me is to have a clean sheet. It's a different game against Man United, the game was more open, and there were more chances.
"This was more like the game against West Ham, and against West Ham, we had a clean sheet and played without any big mistakes. If you fall behind against an atmosphere like this, instil belief in the opponent's team, you struggle."
With four matches left to play, Chelsea still remain in third. The Blues have managed 66 points - three points more than London rivals Arsenal.
