Romelu Lukaku was signed to be Chelsea’s automatic choice and the guarantee of goals. If he has not been the latter for the last month, perhaps he will not be the former for several weeks either.
The £98 million man’s seventh consecutive Chelsea game without a goal was curtailed when he came off with an ankle injury in the 4-0 win over Malmo. With the hamstrung Timo Werner also beating a first-half exit, Chelsea find themselves short of strikers.
Their focus on Lukaku was such that they started the season with one fewer centre-forward, bringing in the Belgian as Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham were sold. Now the European champions lack a specialist striker. It is not just Manchester City who will be playing a false nine in the next few weeks.
Admittedly, few tears may be shed for Chelsea when that false nine is likely to be Kai Havertz, the generational talent and £62 million signing who delivered the winning goal in the Champions League final. Versatile as the German is, there is a case for arguing that he has looked a lesser player since Lukaku arrived, struggling to adapt to life as one of the No 10s. He has only mustered one goal with Lukaku on the pitch; even that was a header from a corner at Anfield. Without Lukaku, Havertz excelled as a substitute against Malmo, scoring in stylish fashion after Callum Hudson-Odoi found him.
Havertz has only started one of the last six games, Hudson-Odoi three in 10. They could be the immediate beneficiaries. “They can prove a point now so we will have some games without Romelu and Timo. Everyone is invited to join the race for minutes on the pitch,” Thomas Tuchel said.
Chelsea v Malmo player ratings
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CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy - 6: Stroll in the park for the Senegalese goalkeeper as Malmo failed to register a single shot on target or even remotely look like scoring. EPA -
Andreas Christensen - 8: Memorable night for the Dane as he volleyed home his first goal for Chelsea after nine minutes. AP -
Thiago Silva - 7: Picked out defensive colleague Christensen with cross for Chelsea opener and had little problem dealing with Malmo’s powder-puff attack at other end. PA -
Antonio Rudiger - 7: Swing and a miss with early opportunity in Malmo box. Caught out by one ball over top but Antonio Colak blazed wildly over bar. Bundled over in box to earn Chelsea their second penalty. Smashed one free-kick about 20 metres high and wide in last few minutes. Getty -
Cesar Azpilicueta - 7: Had freedom to attack down right with little attacking threat from Malmo coming the other way. A comfortable night’s work for the Spaniard. AP -
N’Golo Kante - 8: Usual industrious self in midfield, always making himself available to teammates, tidying up in front of defence and not giving Malmo players any time on ball. Top quality. AFP -
Jorginho - 8: Went down in box after 15 minutes claiming penalty – but rightly turned down. Drilled home from spot minutes later, anyway, after Lukaku was hacked down in box. Second penalty dispatched just as confidently early in second half. AFP -
Ben Chilwell - 7: Wingback was looking to continue recent three-game scoring run, heading an early chance over bar and firing shot straight at keeper Johan Dahlin in first half. No joy this time, though. EPA -
Mason Mount - 7: Fizzed one fine low ball across six-yard box that somehow missed all his teammates and beautiful flick to Kante on edge of box later in first half. Half chance later in game from corner but couldn’t keep header down. AFP -
Timo Werner - 6: Bad early miss – given offside but would have counted after VAR check - suggested it could be another one of those days for German. And, low and behold, looked like his hamstring went just before break and it was game over. Getty -
Romelu Lukaku 7 – Scythed down in box by Lasse Nielsen before he looked set to end scoring drought to earn Jorginho’s penalty. Hurt ankle in process and couldn’t continue. Had started game well and injuries to his two key attackers will be major concern for Thomas Tuchel. AFP -
SUBS: Kai Havertz – (On for Lukaku 23’) 7: Tried to catch out Dahlin with near-post shot but keeper saved well and clipped another shot over bar before half-time. No mistake just after break with third attempt – a lovely dinked finish over Malmo’s substitute keeper and into net off inside of post. AFP -
Callum Hudson-Odoi – (On for Werner 44’) 7: Surging run from deep and nice ball through to set up Havertz’s goal. Almost had one himself but curled shot too close to keeper. EPA -
Saul Niguez – (On for Kante 65’) 6: No opportunity for the Spaniard to make his mark. PA -
Reece James – (On for Azpilicueta 65’) 6: Immediately looking to get involved with Chelsea attacks with team already settled in cruise control. EPA -
Marcos Alonso – (On for Chilwell 66’) 6: First contribution to game was being nutmegged in impressive fashion. Getty
The intellectual challenge of coping without Lukaku should appeal to the resourceful Tuchel. “We have to deal with it and find solutions,” the manager said. “No excuses.” But, and while Werner has proved famously profligate, there is a fundamental difference between the prolific Lukaku and his probable replacements.
Havertz’s Premier League record for Chelsea stands at five goals in 34 games, from 45 shots; in Europe, he has two goals from 16 matches. He is a curiosity, the Champions League final match-winner who otherwise appears a disappointment. For all Hudson-Odoi’s huge potential, he has scored three times in 59 league appearances. Yet if he was hampered by a status as a bit-part player, he could now be pivotal. “Guys who waited for their chance need to step up,” Tuchel added. “Whoever it may be, the race is on.”
But the race has been stripped of Chelsea’s best runner. Wasteful as Werner can be, he excels at sprinting at defences, stretching them and opening up space for others. Most of their other attackers prefer to operate between the lines, though Christian Pulisic, who scored in his only league game, is due back soon and has the pace to threaten.
Mason Mount is alone among their supposedly creative players in actually creating many chances this season and appears essential as one of the No 10s. Hakim Ziyech scored in the Super Cup against Villarreal but has since felt arguably the most disappointing, and least trusted, of their attackers but he and Ross Barkley, who started the season without a squad number, could get more opportunities.
Both the fixture list and their talent may equip Chelsea to cope in the short term. Before the international break, they face Norwich, Southampton, Newcastle, Malmo and Burnley. But if Lukaku and Werner are still absent when they take on Leicester, Juventus and Manchester United later in November then the tactician in Tuchel will need to flourish to find a way to win.
