Three things to look for as Chelsea seeks Super Cup redemption

2. In time for a bit of poetry or a marker?

It was mentioned earlier that Lukaku missed his penalty in 2013. That miss saw Chelsea lose the Super Cup to Bayern Munich and it would be Lukaku’s last kick for the club. Shortly thereafter, he was loaned to Everton. A year later with the arrival of Diego Costa, Lukaku was sold to Everton.

Lukaku is a fantastic player and doesn’t need to prove that to anyone. The proof is evident. But there was always a sense of unfinished business about Chelsea. Were it not for Mino Raiola, Lukaku could have started finishing that business years ago. Instead, he took the long way round but may have come back at the right time.

It would be extremely poetic for Lukaku’s first match back at Chelsea to be a Super Cup. It’d be even better if he scored the winning goal. Again, in the grand scheme, it’s a small trophy. But it would be huge for Lukaku and the club to start his new journey righting the wrong of the last one.

That is, of course, if he signs in time to play. Everything will need to be done very soon to register him in time. If he can’t get signed up quickly enough, that gives whoever plays in his stead one last chance to put down a marker.

And, naturally, who plays in his stead gets pretty blurry. Tuchel sees most of his front three as completely interchangeable so any of the three could find themselves out with Lukaku’s arrival. Add in that the late Euros returners may not be ready to start yet and the front three could be a real clash for minutes. It will be very important for everyone to hit the ground running and the Super Cup can give them a chance if Lukaku doesn’t sign in time.