Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is contemplating punishing Romelu Lukaku for his unauthorised interview and could even drop the Belgian striker from the matchday squad to face Liverpool on Sunday.
Without seeking permission from the club, Lukaku spoke to Italian media and admitted he was unhappy with his situation at Chelsea - something which disappointed both Tuchel and those in charge at Stamford Bridge.
While it is now accepted that Lukaku meant no harm with his comments, Chelsea were less than impressed with his behaviour and failure to disclose the interview, and some fans have been left incensed by the whole thing.
As reported by a whole host of sources, including The Telegraph, Tuchel is weighing up disciplinary action against Lukaku.
The boss could opt to give his record signing a dressing down behind the scenes, but some close to the situation believe there is a chance that Lukaku will not start against Liverpool and may even be dropped from the matchday squad altogether.
That would be an enormous call from Tuchel, whose side have already lost ground in the title race and will feel as though they must beat rivals Liverpool to keep up at the top.
Lukaku has netted twice in his last two games but is not guaranteed to keep his spot in the starting lineup here, but how Tuchel would replace him is unclear.
Timo Werner trained with the squad in the build-up to this game but was struggling with Covid-19 for over two weeks before returning to training, while Kai Havertz is yet to play a minute after overcoming the virus as well.
In the trio's recent absence, it's Christian Pulisic who was starting up top for Chelsea, but the American looked an awkward fit and is without a goal in his last seven Premier League appearances.
Source : 90min