Romelu Lukaku has completed his return to Chelsea in a £97.5million deal in August and could be available for selection against Arsenal.
In signing one of the best strikers in the world, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has given himself a new variety of tactical plans to choose from.
The 28-year-old scored 24 goals in the Serie A last season with Inter Milan and will be hoping for a similar impact when he marks his return to action in the royal blue shirt.
It will be his second stint at the west London club after joining as a teenager back in 2011. But things look very different for him under Tuchel.
Back then, he had to play as a third-choice striker to Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres — now, he has a guaranteed place in the team as far as Tuchel is concerned.
But that also means one of his current crop may have to make way in order to accommodate Lukaku in his team.
The 47-year-old has stuck with his favoured 3-4-3 formation until signing the Belgium international.
But ahead of their crucial clash against Arsenal, the Blues can choose from a number of match plans to keep things interesting.
Here are four potential setups for Tuchel to evaluate….
3-4-3
Without question, this is Tuchel’s favoured setup and even if Chelsea end up trialling another formation, this is the German’s go-to.
It was back in January when he and assistant boss Zsolt Low designed their blueprint on the private jet to London when he was appointed. This is their masterplan.
The players understand it well, know their roles to the fine details and most importantly, are effective in winning games. It has been effective enough to beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City three times, Atletico Madrid twice and so on.
It gives the Blues a defensive sturdiness, as well as a lethal threat on the counter attack. And even if it does make for a less entertaining game, there is no denying its effectiveness in getting points on the board.
After winning the Champions League using such a shape, other managers have began copying his high-intensity, pressing style — and that's a compliment for Tuchel in itself.
It could be the ideal formation for Jules Kounde to slot into, should the Blues be successful in their pursuit of the Sevilla centre-back.
Potential XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount, Lukaku, Werner.
3-5-2
Chelsea have been searching for ways to improve Werner’s goal tally after managing just six in 35 league appearances last season — and a throwback to a familiar formation could do the trick,
Not least because the 25-year-old thrived in such a role when he struck 28 goals in the Bundesliga in 2019-20 for RB Leipzig.
Just like Werner and Youssuf Poulsen, he could flourish when playing alongside Lukaku, with Mason Mount behind them to provide the creativity.
Tuchel has hinted that with Lukaku to be used as much as possible and his impressive partnership with Lautaro Martinez at Inter Milan, he could look into partnering him with one of Werner or Kai Havertz.
"I think we have now with Romelu the chance also to play with two strikers, like they did at Inter with him, or to continue with three strikers,” he said.
What it would do is cause some concern for wingers Christian Pulisic and Hakim, eliminating those two ‘inside No.10’ roles that the 3-4-3 offers.
Potential XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; James, Kante, Kovacic, Mount, Chilwell; Lukaku, Werner.
3-5-2 (3-4-1-2)
There is not a lot of difference between this and the 3-5-2, except it is slightly more attacking and could benefit Chelsea when playing against teams with a smaller reputation.
Tuchel has shown his reluctance to sway from the three-man and now has 20 clean sheets as Chelsea boss to back up his confidence in the system.
It would be effective in giving Chelsea some balance in attack — the three centre-backs and two central midfielders can hang back while the front three and wing-backs pile forward.
But this setup is unlikely to be favoured by players such as Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.
They have found some joy in those roles as an inside forward and, with Mount likely to be given a free roaming role in any 3-4-1-2 formation, they would be confined to the bench.
Potential XI: Mendy; Kounde, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; James, Kante, Jorginho, Chilwell; Mount; Lukaku, Werner.
4-3-3
Frank Lampard stuck with the 4-3-3 through thick and thin during his 18 months in charge, but it seems unlikely that Tuchel will take a leaf out of his predecessor’s book.
Such a formation does offer some vulnerability, especially if the full-backs venture forward. It was something that Maurizio Sarri failed to solve when he was briefly Chelsea boss in 2018-19.
Still, it probably gives Tuchel the best opportunity to utilise the attacking he has at his disposal.
Lukaku would take up the central striking position, with either Werner, Pulisic, Havertz, Mount or Ziyech in the wide areas. A midfield three of Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic would be difficult to break down too.
But with no link man in the final third, Lukaku could be left isolated and forced to take on a target man role, something that does not suit him despite his incredible strength and muscular frame is not something that suits him.
Potential XI: Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; Chilwell; Kante, Jorginho, Mount; Havertz, Lukaku, Werner.
