Jamie Carragher believes that 'alarm bells' will start ringing if Romelu Lukaku doesn’t start for Chelsea against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
The former Everton forward completed a big-money transfer to Chelsea from Inter Milan during the summer transfer window last year.
Lukaku scored within a quarter of an hour of his second Chelsea debut away to Arsenal before going on to score six more times in all competitions by the end of December.
However, the Belgium international has struggled in recent months and only touched the ball seven times during his side’s 1-0 victory Crystal Palace on Saturday.
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It was the lowest number any player has managed in a 90-minute Premier League appearance since at least 2003, when that data was first recorded.
Lukaku then found himself on the bench for his side’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Lille at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.
Next up for Thomas Tuchel’s side is the League Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, and Carragher believes if Lukaku doesn't start the game then he can’t see the forward being at the club next season.
“I think the big thing at the weekend, we are talking about the cup final now. We don’t know, yet to see what the team is,” the former Liverpool defender told CBS Sports.
“But I think not playing in a Champions League knockout game, then not playing in a cup final. I mean alarm bells will be going if I was Lukaku.
“I don’t think he is the type of player you can have on the bench. I don’t believe that. I don’t believe he will be on the bench long-term.
“We are seeing that with Timo Werner right now. But Lukaku is a bigger name. Bigger presence and he is a better player than someone like Werner.
“If they go with Havertz and almost like a different system, like a false nine, then I don’t think we will see Lukaku at the club next season.”
