Frank Lampard, Chelsea’s caretaker manager, has hinted that he may start several players for the first time against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. The Blues manager has only been back at the club for a week, but he has already presided over his third game as head coach.
Players like Noni Madueke, Benoit Badiashile, and Carney Chukwuemeka who have yet to see game action will be hoping to make Lampard’s roster and see playing time. The former two players will be ineligible for the return leg against Real Madrid, despite the fact that they have not had much time to impress on the training pitch.
Lampard said on Friday:
“I want to be part of a process in this period where players have an opportunity. If they train, if they deserve to play, then they get an opportunity on the pitch and they can show what they can do. “
“Tomorrow [Saturday] will be an opportunity for some players who didn’t play in the Champions League, possibly didn’t play at the weekend, to come in because it’s a game where we absolutely need freshness and energy as well. So every opportunity, they should take.”
Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue to start in goal for Chelsea since Edouard Mendy is still nursing an injury despite rejoining the team, and Reece James should start on the right side of defense unless there are any concerns about his fitness. Lampard may try to continue improving Thiago Silva’s fitness by giving him a second straight start, while Ben Chilwell, who was rested in the previous Premier League game, may be used on the left.
Do you know that The club’s summer transfer plans have yet to be revealed? Various, often contradictory rumors, have circulated. While some have speculated that the club will spend big, others have asserted that major roster changes are not in the works. Only time will tell-
Kalidou Koulibaly will be out for weeks due to an injury, therefore players like Trevoh Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile will have to battle it out for a starting berth in the defense. Both might be denied if Lampard opts for a back four and Wesley Fofana starts, though the French defender might be given a rest after starting Lampard’s first two games in charge.
After returning from injury, Mason Mount showed promise with his brief stint on the Bernabeu pitch. If Lampard decides to rest Joao Felix, he might play in an advanced midfield role for Chelsea, linking up the attack with N’Golo Kante and Enzo Fernandez.
Since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ineligible to play against Real Madrid, Kai Havertz might make a return to the starting lineup as Lampard attempts to assemble an attacking unit capable of challenging the defenses of Brighton and Real Madrid.
The Blues interim manager has a deep bench to choose from, so newcomers like Madueke and Mykhailo Mudryk, who both joined the club in January, could get game time. Kepa; James; Silva; Badiashile; Chilwell; Kante; Fernandez; Mount; Madueke; Havertz; Mudryk; are the predicted starters for Chelsea.9
