Lukaku to get second Chelsea chance as Wenger prepares to tackle Arsenal's Wilshere

ROMELU LUKAKU has been handed a second chance at Chelsea by Jose Mourinho.

Romelu LukakuRomelu Lukaku (right) played for Belgium at the World Cup this summer[GETTY]

The Blues striker has been linked with a summer move away from Stamford Bridge following an impressive loan spell at Everton last season.

But Steve Holland, Chelsea’s assistant first-team coach, insists the Belgian hitman will link up with Mourinho’s squad for their two-week pre-season training camp across Europe next week.

Holland said: “The plan is that he will join up with us at some stage during the second week when we are in Holland.”

Asked whether he won’t be going anywhere until then, Holland replied: “That’s the situation as I understand it.”

Lukaku, who scored 15 Premier League goals for Roberto Martinez’s men, is viewed as the direct replacement for Demba Ba, who joined Besiktas for £4.7million last week.

The 21-year-old powerhouse also dropped a hint that his future lies in London when he changed his Twitter biography to say he was a Chelsea player. Previously, there was no mention of the Londoners.

Chelsea travel to Austria, Slovenia, Holland and Germany over the next fortnight as they continue to build up their preparation for their league opener at Burnley on August 18.

The Blues clinched a 3-2 pre-season win at AFC Wimbledon yesterday, courtesy of a brace from skipper John Terry and a Mohamed Salah strike.

Football stretcher fails

Arsenal’s afternoon was more comfortable as they eased to a 2-0 win at Boreham Wood.

Aaron Ramsey started for the Gunners alongside Carl Jenkinson, Nacho Monreal and Wojciech Szczesny but it wasn’t until the 68th minute that Kristoffer Olson gave the FA Cup winners the lead.

Benik Afobe then made sure of the victory with a penalty late on.

Afterwards Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said that he will speak to his England midfielder Jack Wilshere next week after the midfielder was snapped smoking again.

The 25-year-old appeared to be dragging on a cigar while on holiday in Las Vegas last week.

In a bid to prove his commitment he then returned to training three days early.

Jack WilshereJack Wilshere (right) was snapped smoking at a stag do this week [GETTY]

Gunners boss Wenger is yet to speak to Wilshere since he arrived back on Thursday but will do next week.

“I haven’t spoken to him so it’s very difficult for me,” said Wenger.

“But I know what you can make of the pictures. I have to speak to him to see what happens before I come out publicly.

“I’m not deeply concerned by it but I just want to know what happened.

“Jack’s at an age when you want him to move forward and he has potential.

“He’s a great player, he has a football brain, he’s ambitious and I’m sure if he can be injury free then he’ll have a good season.”

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NEW West Brom boss Alan Irvine was denied a pre-season victory against Wycombe as the two sides played out a 0-0 draw behind closed doors.

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