Lukaku makes sorry sight as Chelsea triumph

Chelsea rediscovered attacking form to beat Lille 2-0 in the first leg of a Champions League last-16 tie, but the talk at Stamford Bridge was about a striker who did not play.

Record signing Romelu Lukaku was an unused substitute while Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic scored to put reigning champions Chelsea in the driving seat to advance to the last eight.

On Saturday against Crystal Palace Lukaku had the fewest touches of the ball - seven - recorded for a player on the pitch for at least 90 minutes in an English Premier League game.

That added to questions about the Belgian's role in Thomas Tuchel's side, which has often looked more dangerous when Lukaku was absent.

Lukaku scored 24 league goals and had 11 assists for Inter Milan last season to help them clinch the Serie A title, and he got off to a good start in his second spell at Stamford Bridge in August.

He scored three goals in his first three Premier League games. But he has scored only two in the league since.

Tuchel said after the win over Lille that Lukaku needed a break.

Lukaku did score two of Chelsea's three goals in the Club World Cup tournament that the Londoners won in Abu Dhabi this month. But the threat posed by Havertz against Lille suggested the German may get the nod ahead of Lukaku for Sunday's League Cup final against Liverpool.