Romelu Lukaku has no plans to leave Chelsea next summer and is determined to make his second spell at Stamford Bridge a successful one.
After weeks of underwhelming form, Lukaku was benched for the Champions League clash with Lille on Tuesday and now faces a battle to reclaim his position in the team after Kai Havertz impressed in his absence.
Following the Lille game, a 2-0 victory for the Blues, reports from Italy emerged suggesting Lukaku was keen to return to Inter in the summer, and some went as far as to claim he had already reached out to his former employers to try and get a deal done.
However, The Guardian report that Lukaku, while disappointed with the situation, is not planning an exit just yet as he wants to make his second spell at the club a success.
Lukaku is understood to be focused on proving himself to manager Thomas Tuchel in the hope of starting Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. He believes he is in good physical condition and capable of starting if he gets the nod.
However, the Daily Mail state that Tuchel believes his team operates better with Havertz leading the line - a sentiment which was strengthened by Chelsea's dominant performance over Lille.
Tuchel is not against starting Lukaku on Sunday and plans to give both the Belgian and Havertz a fair chance, but the latter is understood to be confident of getting the nod after his impressive showing in midweek.
The boss will also check on the fitness of both Hakim Ziyech and Mateo Kovacic after the pair limped off against Lille, but the feeling is that they have avoided any real injuries and were simply dealing with knocks.
Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi both returned to team training on Thursday following recoveries from their own injuries, while Mason Mount is expected to feature on Sunday after overcoming an ankle problem.
Source : 90min