THOMAS TUCHEL reportedly spoke to half a dozen senior Chelsea players before making the stunning call to drop Romelu Lukaku against Liverpool.
The Blues boss didn’t even name his record signing on the bench for the crucial Premier League clash on Sunday.
And the Athletic reports the German sounded out his key lieutenants to gauge the mood among Lukaku’s team-mates.
The group is understood to have included club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger.
Tuchel opted for a front three of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz for the 2-2 draw with Jurgen Klopp’s title-chasers.
And he packed his bench with youth talent that left him without a recognised striker in the matchday squad.
Tuchel’s decision to axe his star striker came after the 28-year-old’s blockbuster interview with Italian TV last week.
Lukaku revealed he never wanted to leave Inter Milan last summer and blasted his manager’s tactics at Stamford Bridge.
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The sensational outburst riled Tuchel, who a day later admitted he was furious with the additional ‘noise’ it caused.
His stance was backed by the likes of Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, who said it was time Chelsea showed the forward ‘the f***ing door’.
But fellow Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville threw his weight behind the player and praised the ‘authenticity’ on show.
He added Lukaku now had to give his all for the shirt to justify his £97.5MILLION price tag.
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