Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel, has come out to defend the club’s record signing, Romelu Lukaku, after the Belgian striker’s abysmal display in a 1-0 victory away at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

It was an erratic display by the European champions as they laboured to victory, but it was an even more frustrating game for the striker as he only managed to touch the ball seven times in 90 minutes, two of those coming in the first half.

Chelsea are preparing to face French champions Lille in the UEFA Champions league this midweek and in his pre-match press conference, Tuchel defended the striker. 

“It’s not the time to laugh about him, he is our player and we will protect him. What can I do? I don’t know. Well, we have to deal with it,” Tuchel added.

“The data is out there and speaks the language that he wasn’t in our game. With strikers, it can be like this when they lack confidence or depending on the game,” the Blues coach said. 

This terrible performance in front for Chelsea comes on the back of his star performance at the just concluded Club World Cup where his two goals were crucial to Chelsea being crowned world champions.

The former Manchester United and Inter Milan striker is now up to 10 goals in 28 games since returning to Chelsea this season, half of those goals coming in the premier league.