Chelsea’s international break to-do list: How to deploy Romelu Lukaku one issue Thomas Tuchel must resolve

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Top of the table going into the second international break of the season, no club has laid down a more emphatic statement of intent than Chelsea in the opening weeks of the campaign.

So while Thomas Tuchel has tried to bat away claims that his European champions are among the title favourites – actions speak louder than words.

And between now and the next international window, he should be looking to really put his foot down and put distance between Chelsea and their rivals.

To sit top of the pile after being handed such a daunting start to the season underlines Chelsea’s credentials.

They have faced the two previous Premier League champions and had to travel to Arsenal and Tottenham in fierce London derbies.

Yet still they sit a point clear of Liverpool – two ahead of Manchester City and Manchester United.

And by Tuchel’s own admission, it has hardly been perfect.

Back-to-back defeats to City and Juventus highlighted issues with the balance of his attack and his own uncertainty over team selections.

N’Golo Kante has only started two Premier League games due to injury or illness, Jorginho has looked fatigued and deadline day signing Saul Niguez has failed to take off.

Romelu Lukaku, meanwhile, is cutting an increasingly frustrated figure, with growing questions as to whether Tuchel knows to best deploy the £97.5million striker.

These are all issues the German will have to address as the season progresses, but his ability to think on the spot remains one of his strongest assets.

He has welcomed Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley back into the fold and has more depth in midfield as a result.

Timo Werner produced his best performance in a Chelsea shirt for a long time in the win against Southampton, which could add another dimension to attack.

And with a run of games, which sees them face four of the bottom five in the coming weeks, the table could look even healthier than it does now in just a few weeks’ time.

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