Player Focus: Lacklustre Lukaku in Need of a Rest

The shocking news that footballers are prone to tiredness was leaked this week as Raheem Sterling was criticised by some for admitting fatigue to national team boss Roy Hodgson.

The issue of players burning out, particularly at such a young age, is a serious one. How often does 'the next big thing' at a football club get over-hyped and potentially overused. Long-term injuries to players at such a crucial age in terms of their physical and technical development can prove critical to an individual’s future career and clubs must be mindful of protecting their prodigious talents in turn.

While it's 19-year-old Sterling that has been subject of a frankly farcical amount of 'news' stories of late but Merseyside is also home to another youngster seemingly struggling to cope with an increase in playing time.

It's easy to forget that Romelu Lukaku is only 21, such is his sheer size. A now familiar image of the Belgian at youth level shows the striker, legs spread wide apart, looming large over the other kids on the field. He could have been doing the splits and still been head and shoulders above the rest.

The former Anderlecht forward became renowned in his homeland at an incredibly early age, with his physical prowess quite literally catching the eye. A transfer to apparent boyhood club Chelsea materialised by the time he was 18 and subsequent loan moves to West Brom and Everton saw him quickly become a household name in the Premier League, ranking among the top 10 scorers in the top-flight in each of the last two seasons (17 goals in 2012/13 and 15 in 2013/14).

Such was Everton's reliance on Lukaku to score goals last season, only 5 players had more playing time from a starting position up front in the Premier League (2320 minutes). At the Hawthorns the youngster made 35 league appearances but 15 of those came as a substitute, perhaps in agreement with Chelsea given then-manager Steve Clarke's ties to the London club.

After a demanding 2013/14 campaign, Lukaku carried the weight of Belgium's goalscoring responsibility into the World Cup in the absence of the injured Christian Benteke, who - now fit again - may well line-up against him this weekend. The soon-to-be Everton front man was attracting interest from across Europe but his performances in Brazil fell short of what many expected - earning a rating of 6.55 from WhoScored over 4 appearances - in a Belgium side that were far more reserved on the pitch than on paper.

When at his physical peak Lukaku is, at times, unplayable. He's a bully with and without the ball, not scared to run at defenders and use his strength to brush them aside en route to goal. Indeed, it's his dribbling ability that has earned a strength in WhoScored's player characteristics, completing 80 since the start of his spell with West Brom, while his aerial prowess is often overplayed.

Lukaku can certainly find the back of the net with his head but when it comes to head-to-head duels with opponents his figures are modest to say the least and, worryingly, on the wane. He won 40.5% of his aerial duels with the Baggies compared to 38% last season. With that success rate down at just 23% this season there's a concerning lack of spring in his step in more ways than one.

Roberto Martinez has been speaking of the club's record signing this week and playing up the role that Lukaku has played in general play but confirms that the 21-year-old is some way off full fitness. The Spaniard cites his World Cup exploits and an early season injury as reasons for the striker's lack of form, admitting, “He had to get himself fit by playing games and now we’re paying for that."

Lukaku's average playing time per league appearance is currently at 85.1 minutes - a high over the last three seasons. If the Belgian really is struggling for fitness it may continue to effect his form in the long run if he's not rested sooner rather than later. With Eto'o now at his disposal, Naismith in impressive goalscoring knick and European commitments to contend with it's Martinez's job to man manage the situation, and that may start this weekend against Villa.

Should Martinez rest Lukaku in the coming weeks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below