Ahead of their Premier League clash with Southampton, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is open with numerous options in the front.
Frank Lampard affirmed that Hakim Ziyech will be available to make his debut for Chelsea this weekend. However, Edouard Mendy will the Premier League fixture against Southampton.
Goalkeeper Mendy is dealing with a thigh injury that he concurred while on international duty with Senegal. Coincidentally, the Senegalese played against Ziyech’s Morocco. Moreover, the Moroccon played his first game since the pre-season friendly vs Brighton.
Nonetheless, Ziyech did not make his debut for Chelsea yet after his £37 million transfer from Ajax. Although, Lampard now confirms that he will start on the sideline for Saturday’s clash.
“Mendy won’t be fit for the match tomorrow. We hope the injury’s not too long,” Lampard at his pre-match press conference.
“Thiago Silva after his trip and back, he’s not unfit but he’s not ready to play the game because of the traveling and the game that he played. So he won’t be in the squad.
“Ben Chilwell is in the squad, so he’s got over some of the feelings he had that took him out of the England squad around the injury. He’s had it for a while now. Christian Pulisic is in the squad and fit to play. Hakim Ziyech in the squad, he’s not fit to start but fit to participate for some minutes we hope.”
Pulisic has to get his season up and running yet. However, he played his first game vs Crystal Palace just before the international break.
Now that Mendy is out, Lampard refuses to disclose whether he will play Kepa Arrizabalaga or Willy Caballero.
Nevertheless, the gaffer is delighted to have Ziyech back in the squad.
“We brought Hakim here and it feels like a long time ago now. But he also hasn’t played since the Dutch league finished due to the lockdown,” Lampard said. “It’s a long time and he’s worked so hard, he’s been fantastic in terms of his professionalism to get fit. And he looks really good in training.
“I’ve got a really open relationship with him to know where he’s at, and how I feel about it. So it’s just game minutes that we need now.
“Of course, I’m excited to get him in and around it. To bring what we brought him to the club for which is the opportunity to create chances for us. To be the talented player that he is and we saw at Ajax and I look forward to seeing him play.”
A variety of options.
Furthermore, Ziyech will face rivalry from Mason Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Kai Havertz, and Timo Werner.
He said: “Any team that wants to compete towards the top of the league and in the Champions League needs more than one player per position. It needs to be competitive across the front area. We had it last year.
“We lost Willian, we lost Pedro, we lost Batshuayi. We’ve brought players in for the same level of competition in terms of numbers. And I feel like the quality levels of the players we brought in. Of course, you want to improve.
“It’s up to the players of course in terms of their performance. And at the same time, it gives me a nice problem in terms of selecting players. We can hopefully use through the season and options to come off the bench. I’m happy with what some people might call a problem in that area.”
Moreover, Lampard received questions regarding Toni Rudiger’s future at the club.
“Every player can play their way into the starting XI, the squad. That’s in every players’ hands and how I try to work here,” he said. “Toni is the same as every other player on that one.”
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