Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says Romelu Lukaku needs time to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League, but insists he will not attempt to reinvent the striker.
The Belgium international returned to Stamford Bridge in a club-record transfer from reigning Serie A champions Inter in August.
However, the 28-year-old is yet to truly fire on all cylinders during his second spell with the Blues, amassing eight goals from 20 appearances in all competitions.
Lukaku was recently dropped by Tuchel following comments made in the Italian media, stating he was "not very happy with the situation" he finds himself in, while expressing a desire to return to the Nerazzurri one day.
However, the striker subsequently apologised to his manager and the fans, and was restored to the starting line-up for last week's EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win over Tottenham.
And Tuchel is confident it is only a matter of time until everything clicks into place for his number nine.
"Romelu had a huge physical impact in the game against Tottenham," he said. "Maybe he wasn't so spectacularly involved, but he was involved in playing a crucial part with his physical qualities.
"Once he adapts to the physical style of the league, there is no doubt he will have a huge impact.
"We will not reinvent his style or reinvent the player. He can simply be Romelu, and then we are all fine, and then he will score because this is what he always does."
During his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s second leg against Spurs, it was suggested that Timo Werner could provide a link for Lukaku similar to Lautaro Martinez at Inter last season.
Responding to the suggestion, Tuchel said: "He could be, but I see no reason that we should copy Inter.
"We have our style and enough possibilities. We can play with two strikers; we can play 3-5-2; we have the possibility to play three strikers.
"We played a 4-4-2 against Tottenham in the first leg. I don't mean it in a harsh way; the players need to show they are good enough to start.
"We are not inventing new stuff to make players better or happier. They have all it takes. It’s on them to show it."
Ja's Harbour View takes aim at Dom Rep's Cibao FC with Group B honours in sight
Jamaica's Harbour View will be looking to complete their mission of a first-place finish in Group B of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup, when they visit Cibao FC of the Dominican Republic at the Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros, on Thursday.
Harbour View sit atop the group with seven points and have already clinched their spot in the semifinals, but they will need a victory at Cibao to assure themselves of group honours.
The East Kingston-based club has been excellent in the competition, opening with a 1-0 win against fellow Jamaican side Dunbeholden, before a 1-1 draw against Atletico Pantoja of the Dominican Republic, and an exciting 3-2 win versus Suriname’s Robinhood.
Cibao opened with a point in a 1-1 draw with Atletico Pantoja but have suffered back-to-back defeats since then. However, the opportunity is there to end on a high note.
Facundo Guichon has shown that he can find the back of the net, having scored against Dunbeholden, while Jean Lopez has an assist and leads the team in ball recoveries (8) and passes (186).
Harbour View will counter with the dynamic duo of Omar Thompson and Shaquiel Bradford. Thompson has scored in two successive games, while Bradford bagged a second half brace to spearhead Harbour View’s comeback win versus Robinhood.
England defender Leah Williamson cannot wait to get back playing after injury
England and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson has said she “is more focused than ever to be back on the pitch” after being made an OBE at Windsor Castle.
Williamson was forced to miss this summer’s World Cup, where the Lionesses finished runners-up, after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in April.
The 26-year-old, who captained the Lionesses to the European Championship title last summer, told the PA news agency: “I’ve made some good steps. I’m running again now. We are in a great place.
“Days like today I can celebrate them properly with my family but I am more focused than ever to be back on the pitch.”
Williamson said she could feel like “a new signing for my team” when she returns from injury.
She said she had “a bit of a catch up” with the Prince of Wales after recently seeing him at a United Nations summit in New York.
Williamson became the first England women’s footballer to address the United Nations when she spoke at the Sustainability Development Goals Summit.
She said she has spoken to the Prince recently about making “my game grow” and how the women’s game can be integrated with men’s football.
When asked about speaking at the United Nations summit, she said: “We have made so much impact on the pitch and it’s obviously important we do that off the pitch as well.
“There were a lot of things I’d spoken to people about and that I really wanted to give my time to and I’ve been able to do that while I’ve been injured.
“It’s not my preferred choice, I’d love to have shin pads and boots on on the pitch but while I’m not out (there) I want to still try and have an impact and do what we do just in a different way.”
Williamson said she hopes women’s football “continues to shift” and there are more games at big stadiums so “we have a chance to prove that the game belongs there”.
But she warned women’s footballers are “running ourselves into the ground to try and compete” because of a busy schedule.
She said: “I think everybody wants to protect their bit of the game but ultimately something has to give in the end and I had team-mates this year that after a World Cup final had five days off.
“It’s not acceptable. It’s not favourable to the players, and ultimately, we’re the only ones that lose out. It’s our bodies on the line.”
Spain, Portugal and Morocco to host World Cup with games also in South America
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are set to co-host the 2030 men’s World Cup, with three South American nations staging the opening matches to mark the tournament’s centenary.
Montevideo in Uruguay, the city which hosted the first World Cup finals match in 1930, is poised to stage the opening match in seven years’ time with games in Argentina and Paraguay to follow.
The rest of the 48-team tournament will then move to north Africa and Europe, under a proposal from UEFA, the Confederation of African Football and South American confederation CONMEBOL which was accepted by the FIFA council at a meeting on Wednesday.
The hosting arrangement is now subject to formal approval by FIFA’s congress.
Uruguay’s selection for 2030 is in recognition of their role as hosts and winners of the opening tournament, Argentina’s as runners-up in that tournament and Paraguay’s as the traditional home of CONMEBOL.
Those countries will qualify automatically for the finals and play their opening games on home soil.
The awarding of the 2026 finals to the United States, Canada and Mexico followed by this proposed award means that only bids from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation will be considered for the 2034 finals.
That appears to give Saudi Arabia, who were initially rumoured to be interested in bidding for 2030, a very strong chance of hosting, although Australia may enter the running too, after they successfully co-hosted the Women’s World Cup alongside New Zealand earlier this year.
The scandal surrounding the conduct of former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales at the final of that tournament has ultimately not prevented Spain being lined up to host its second finals, after it staged its first alone in 1982.
Rubiales remains the subject of ongoing FIFA disciplinary proceedings.
If the 2030 proposal is approved, Morocco would become only the second African nation to host World Cup finals matches, after South Africa in 2010.
Portugal have never hosted a World Cup before, but Euro 2004 was held in that country.
A South American bid had been set to go head to head with the Morocco-Spain-Portugal bid, and a decision had been expected at an extraordinary FIFA congress due to take place in the final quarter of next year.
However, the South American bid would have faced a difficult task to overcome a bid that had backing from UEFA and CAF, and now CONMEBOL has worked with the European and African confederations to come up with this proposal.
Brazil, in 2014, were the last South American nation to host the tournament.
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