Punditry duo and former Premier League icons Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry have given their verdicts on where they both see Romelu Lukaku's future at amid latest Chelsea snub.
Lukaku, 28, was the main topic of Tuchel's press conference for the round of 16 tie due to the fact that he only made seven touches in the win over Crystal Palace at the weekend.
His ineffectiveness in that contest cost him his position in Tuesday night's starting XI as the German decided to opt for Kai Havertz in his place with Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech alongside him in attack.
"Yes also [that], It was not the moment after the match where everybody was focused on the few touches that he had to put him right into the next fire. It was the moment to take a step back. That was the decision and that’s it.", Tuchel said in his post-match press conference when he was asked if he was protecting the £97.5million man.
"You can clearly see we have a strong win and strong performance. It was a tough match and almost every question is about Romelu. The focus is huge. There were nine other players who did not play.
"We should never forget we consider this sport a team sport and the eleven guys who play do everything to commit fully to what we plan and to commit fully to their teammates and those on the bench have to do the same and this is how it works.
"Especially at Chelsea and especially for us and this is how we win football matches."
It was a decision that split opinion but Lukaku himself didn't look too annoyed during Tuesday night's affair when the camera panned to him and Mason Mount who greeted Kai Havertz' early opener with a round of applause.
But looking deeper into what the 28-year-old does from here and how he can resurrect his current fortunes upon his return to England, someone close to Lukaku in the form of Thierry Henry has sent Tuchel a message regarding what he needs to do to get the best out of the Serie A winner.
"For Rom to adapt to how they play, it takes time," Henry said on CBS Sports' coverage of the Champions League. "From the start, I questioned as a coach, how is he going to fit into this team.
"When you go and get Romelu Lukaku, you have to either give him time to adapt or change the way you play.
"No, it's not normal - regardless of if the coach likes you or doesn't like you - that shouldn't happen.
"It did happen and they need to move forward."
Henry, Carragher and Micah Richards were then asked where they see Lukaku playing next season and their verdicts shows the dilemma the club faces ahead of June, 2022.
The Arsenal legend kicked off with: "I'll say Chelsea," which Richards agreed with.
Carragher then emphatically responded: "Inter Milan."
football.london understands that it is unlikely at this point that Marina Granovskaia would consider giving up on the club-record acquisition after just one campaign, but increased interest if it does arrive between now and the end of the season could potentially change the current stance of the Chelsea board.
