Kai Havertz took less than 10 minutes to prove exactly why Thomas Tuchel was happy to drop Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea ’s bench.
Lukaku always promised to be a major talking point as the Blues hosted Lille in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Lille.
Tuchel made the decision to leave the club’s record signing out of the XI after his no-show against Crystal Palace last weekend.
The Belgian’s poor performance was the subject of analysis on Match of the Day, revealing he managed just seven touches in more than 90 minutes of play.
The German tactician warned against making the former Inter Milan striker a laughing stock, amidst what appears to be a crisis of confidence.
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Ahead of the visit of Lille, he said: “There is data out there and the data speaks a certain language. He was not involved in our game. It’s sometimes like this.
“With strikers, if they struggle with self confidence and to find the space and get involved against a good defensive side, it can be like this. It is not what we want, not what Romelu wants.
“It is not the time to laugh about him, to make jokes about him. He is in the spotlight and we will protect him because he is our player.”
However, for all of his supportive words, it was his actions which were significantly louder, with Havertz preferred in the central striker role.
"I felt him a little bit tired,” Tuchel said of the decision to omit him. “He looked a little exhausted and you have to consider that he’s played a lot.
"We’ve had extra time [in the Club World Cup final], a lot of travelling recently and it wasn’t easy for him against Palace."
In Havertz, Chelsea have a somewhat proven commodity, particularly under Tuchel, having already scored winning goals in both the Champions League and Club World Cup finals.
And a front three, which included Havertz flanked by Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic looked a vastly more fluid attacking prospect than they appeared at Selhurst Park.
Havertz may have already scored twice, before he thudded in a header to open the scoring after nine minutes against the unfancied French side.
It was the kind of free flowing start which will only raise further questions about the decision to spend £97.5million on a player which doesn’t appear to naturally suit the style of play being implemented by Tuchel.
"There is a history of strikers struggling a little bit at Chelsea so it may not be the easiest place in the world for strikers. I don't know why it's like this," Tuchel added.
"We demand a lot of our strikers in terms of defending. We want to be a physical, hard-working group that wants to play a physical game and a skilful game. That maybe plays a part.”
For now, Chelsea seem a much more formidable opponent without their most expensive ever player in the starting XI.
