Thomas Tuchel said he was keen to keep Romelu Lukaku out of the “next fire” in the wake of the striker’s performance at the weekend.

The Chelsea striker has struggled for form and came under scrutiny after touching the ball just seven times during Saturday’s 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

And Blues boss Tuchel left him on the bench for the Champions League last-16 first leg against Lille.

Tuchel explained: “It was not the moment after the match, where everyone was focused on his few touches, to put him into the next fire.

“It was the moment to take a step back, that was the decision and that’s it.”

Goals from Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic gave Chelsea a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

But the spotlight remained on Lukaku, whose second spell at the club has so far been a troubled one.

“We have now had a good win and all the questions are still about Romelu, so the focus is huge,” said Tuchel.

“There are nine other players who did not play and we should never forget that we consider this sport a team sport.”