Blues coach Thomas Tuchel has preferred a formation without the 28-year-old, who has suffered from injury and Covid-19 this season.

Lukaku joined the English side in August after winning the Serie A with Inter Milan earlier this year.

“After two years in Italy, in which I worked a lot at Inter with trainers and nutritionists, I am physically fine,” Lukaku told Sky Sport Italia.

“But I’m not happy with the situation, this is normal. I think the coach has chosen to play with another system, I just have to not give up and continue to work and be a professional.

“I am not happy with the situation, but I am a worker and I must not give up,” he added.

Lukaku made 10 assists and scored 24 times in the league as Inter claimed the Scudetto for the first time since 2010.

Chelsea paid £97.5 million for the ex-Manchester United attacker, who spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge earlier in his career.

“How I left Inter, how I communicated with the fans, this bothers me because it is not the right time now, but even when I left it was not the right time,” Lukaku said in the interview which reportedly took place three weeks ago.

“Now I think it is right to speak because I have always said that I have Inter in my heart, I will return to play there, I really hope so.

“I am in love with Italy, this is rightly the time to talk and let people know what really happened without talking badly about people because I am not like that.

“I want to say a big apology to the Inter fans because I think the way I left should have been different.

“I really hope in the depths of my heart to return to Inter, not at the end of my career, but at a still good level to hopefully win more.”

Lukaku scored his ninth goal of the season in Wednesday’s draw with Brighton before Chelsea head to third-placed Liverpool on Sunday.