Antonio Conte has been proven right about Romelu Lukaku and cause for the striker's misfortunes at Chelsea. Earlier in the season when the Belgium international failed to score for a third game in a row for the Blues, the Tottenham boss claimed that Thomas Tuchel hadn't yet 'figured out' how to use the striker.
"I think he can still do better, above all with his technique," Conte told Sky Sport Italia, following the west London side's 1-0 defeat to Juventus. "During the game, there are moments when Lukaku needs to be turned on, but other than that he is one of the toughest forwards to play against, because he can do damage in any area of the pitch.
"If you have a centre-forward like that, you need to use him and I don't think Chelsea have quite figured out how to use him yet. Last season, they didn't have a proper centre-forward, so they rotated positions, whereas Romelu is a real reference point in attack."
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"If they can figure out how to use Lukaku, then Chelsea can become the team to beat in the Champions League this season," the former Chelsea boss added. But, Tuchel dismissed Conte's claim that he didn't know how to get the best from Lukaku.
Though despite Conte's warning Lukaku, who cost the Blues a club record £97.5 million in the summer, has managed just five goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season. And, he's struggled to nail down a place in the side, with Timo Werner and Kai Havertz often preferred.
Ironically, Chelsea's club-record signing has since admitted to Tuchel that he has struggled to adapt to the physical demands of relentless high pressing, according to The Athletic. Proving Conte right, the report claims that he had been given more freedom to 'operate in spurts' by Conte at Inter Milan.
Lukaku shone under the Spurs boss in Serie A, finding the net 47 times in 72 appearances. The Belgian was central to Inter lifting their first Scudetto in nine years.
Despite the uncertainty regarding Lukaku's future, Tuchel believes that the striker can still grow into a 'crucial' player. Following the Blues' FA Cup semi-final triumph over Crystal Palace, the German said: "For us it is clear, we can play with Romelu and we can be very strong with Romelu and we proved it.
"And we will prove it if he is involved and keeps involved mentally and he stays involved in the situation to go through this he can grow from it and come back stronger.
"It is always like this and it is for sure disappointing for him and not what we expected, not what we expected at the moment, but it is not finished and we will not give in. We never give in with any players and we never give up.
"We will push him, we will push as far as we can and as long as the player stays involved in the mentality that is needed to bring a team forward he can still be a crucial player."
