Ian Wright and Roy Keane have thrown their hats in the ring after Romelu Lukaku missed a guilt-edged opportunity in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. The 28-year-old striker was omitted from the Blues' starting XI but came off the bench with less than quarter of an hour to play.
Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave the Belgium international out of the side was proven right in spectacular fashion as Mason Mount, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner united to waltz past Patrick Vieira's side. The trio were heavily involved in Chelsea's goals that booked a place in the FA Cup final against Liverpool on May 14.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek fired the west Londoners ahead just after the hour mark before Mount then doubled the Blues' lead 11 minutes later, scoring in three successive games for the first time in his career. As the latter's goal flew in, Lukaku readied himself to be introduced to the game.
READ MORE: Christian Pulisic can help new Chelsea owners finalise deal as Thomas Tuchel prepares audition
With no more than a quarter of an hour to stake a claim for a feature against Arsenal on Wednesday, Lukaku would've been keen to impress. The Belgium international was handed a guilt-edged opportunity on a golden platter, but Chelsea's £97.5million-rated striker fluffed his lines.
Speaking on ITV after the game, Wright was left baffled by the Belgian's footwork in the build up to his chance. The former Arsenal striker questioned Lukaku's body-positioning as the ball swept by him.
"Don’t know where the hesitancy came from," Wright said. "Don’t let that come across his body. He’s left-footed, take it with your left-foot."
Keane added by casting doubt over Lukaku's mentality, suggesting that diminished confidence could have been a prevailing factor. The former Manchester United midfielder said: "You have to ask a striker how badly do you want to score? It’s obviously mindset, he’s clearly not right.
Lukaku has struggled to acclimatise to life back on British soil since returning to Chelsea from Inter Milan for an eye-watering fee. The Belgian has scored just 12 goals in 37 appearances for the Blues this season despite arriving as the master key that could unlock Tuchel's maiden Premier League title.
