CHELSEA need Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi to step up following injuries to Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, according to Joe Cole.
The Blues watched both Lukaku and Werner trudge off with problems during their 4-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
And Cole, who won three Premier League titles with Chelsea, feels now is the time for other players in the squad to take the opportunity by the scruff of the neck.
Speaking on BT Sport, he said: “Tuchel said that they’ve won matches without Timo and Romelu.
“Players like Kai Havertz and Callum Hudson-Odoi, they’ve come on tonight, they impacted the game, can they do that again on Saturday?
“All of a sudden you’re looking round and you can wait for Timo to get back, the manager’s not driving the physio mad by asking when’s he back, because you’re winning games and players are stepping up.”
It was revealed on Friday that Lukaku faces up to a month on the sidelines.
But fellow pundit Peter Crouch believes the European champions have the calibre of players to deal with the setback.
“They’ve got good strength in depth Chelsea,” the former England striker said.
“There are players like Havertz and Hudson Odoi who have to step up.
“Him (Havertz) and Hudson-Odoi combined really, really well (against Malmo).
“Werner pulled up (with an injury) with no one near him (on the pitch) and it looks like a hamstring (injury). So those players are going to have to step up.”
Chelsea have started the season impressively and currently sit top of the Prem table after eight games.
And they are now heading into a favourable period of the season as they face each of the bottom three in their next league games – Norwich, Newcastle and Burnley.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
