Daniel Farke fully expects Kai Havertz to deputise for Chelsea in place of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner against Norwich City.
Speaking to the club’s official Twitter account ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash between the Blues and the league’s lowest occupants, Farke touched upon the two missing occupants from Thomas Tuchel’s team.
Werner and Lukaku will be either sitting in the stands or watching from their sofas tomorrow as they recover from separate injuries.
Both were wounded on Wednesday during the 4-0 victory over Malmo.
Lukaku twisted an ankle, whilst Werner suffered a hamstring strain.
Farke’s response
One man’s loss is another man’s gain.
Chelsea will be without their main goal threats, which can only be seen as a plus for Norwich.
Not, however, if you are Farke, who insisted top-flight games deserved to have the best players involved at all times.
“I don’t think it’s a positive when good players are out of the game. I hope Timo and Romelu can return soon,” said the Norwich manager.
In the absence of Lukaku or Werner, Tuchel will have to call upon another member of the squad to start up front.
That responsibility is set to fall upon the shoulders of Havertz, who featured – and scored – through the middle in mid-week at home to Malmo.
“Chelsea always have a top class solution to come in, like Havertz for example,” continued Farke.
Come on Kai
The young German certainly seems the most obvious choice to replace his damaged colleagues.
He has played as a number nine before, for Tuchel and during his days at Bayer Leverkusen.
These next few fixtures could be a major turning point in the 22-year-old’s Chelsea career.
His form has dipped since the Champions League final, mainly hindered by a reduced number of starts.
Havertz could also prove to the Blues that they do not need to repeatedly rely on Lukaku for their goal supply.
Big boots to fill, but ones which need lacing up for now.