Frank Leboeuf believes Timo Werner might lose his spot in the team and expects Romelu Lukaku to be the only guaranteed starter among Chelsea attackers.
On paper, Werner should benefit from having a target man in Lukaku to link up with at Chelsea.
The Germany international thrived as a second striker at RB Leipzig, racking up 28 goals in his last season in Bundesliga.
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel himself has already hinted at a potential formation switch, saying that he is considering changing to a two-striker system.
Leboeuf, however, does not seem to be as optimistic as expected about Werner’s situation.
“I don’t know what Thomas Tuchel is going to do, but everything is going to change,” the former France international told ESPN FC.
“Nobody has been good enough to [claim] a spot in the front line last season and in the first game of this season [vs Crystal Palace].
“I know Lukaku is going to be [in the team]. Who’s going to be next to him, who’s going to be on the bench? I don’t know.
“I’m sure Werner is in trouble right now because he hasn’t satisfied the fans, the club, the coach.
“He’s going to be on the bench if he carries on like that.”
Chronicle view
Lukaku’s being a regular starter means that there is even bigger competition for the remaining attacking spots in the team.
Werner, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, and even Callum Hudson-Odoi are all vying for two inside forward spots in Tuchel’s 3-4-3 system.
Pulisic and Ziyech’s absences from the open training and reportedly being doubtful for the visit to Arsenal (per Football London) mean Werner will still likely feature this weekend.
But when all these players become available, Werner might already lose his spot in the team before he could really benefit from Lukaku’s presence on the pitch.
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