A View From The Bridge
Injury News: Lampard could be without three Chelsea stars for season opener vs Brighton
Chelsea could be without three stars for season opener vs Brighton
According to The Express, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard could be without three of his stars for the curtain-raiser against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The Blues boss is sweating on the fitness of a few of his players, with the clash at the Amex less than a week away.
Lampard could be forced to make a number of last-minute decisions as fans eagerly wait for a new-look Chelsea side to take the field.
The Blues have enjoyed a spectacular transfer window. The club has brought in five first-teamers including Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, and Kai Havertz.
While it remains to be seen who among these would play a role against Brighton, there is one man who looks set to miss out. That is Christian Pulisic, arguably our best player last season.
The American sensation went off with an injured hamstring in the FA Cup final against Arsenal. He looks set to miss the opener and could return to action as early as the end of the month.
One new signing who will definitely miss out is Chilwell. The English international has been nursing a heel injury that saw him miss the business end of last season for Leicester City.
The 23-year-old has been unable to take part in full team training and will have to wait to make his Blues debut.
The third player who is doubtful is yet another new signing – Ziyech. The Moroccon was taken off in our pre-season friendly against Brighton with a knee injury.
While his absence is set to be ascertained, it promises to be a close run.
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While the three absentees are key players, we have enough in our arsenal to see off the Seagulls.
Lampard has been backed to the hilt in the market. It is now his turn to show that the team can translate that optimism into on-field performances. Three points at the Amex will be a good place to start.
A View From The Bridge
Chelsea loanee involved in training ground bust-up with his club captain
Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi involved in a training ground spat with Luka Milivojevic
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi has been involved in a training ground bust-up at Crystal Palace.
The 27-year-old joined the Eagles on a season-long loan last summer. He has made 12 appearances so far but is yet to find the net. In contrast, he scored six goals in 13 games during his previous loan spell at Selhurst Park in 2018/19. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Batshuayi’s time at Palace has now come under further cloud after coming to blows with club captain Luka Milivojevic.
The confrontation was triggered by Milivojevic’s irritation at Batshuayi’s attitude during a passing drill. It involved the Palace players testing each other’s first-touches by kicking the ball at each other with increasing power.
Milivojevic took exception to Batshuayi’s mannerism and responded by kicking the ball straight at the Belgian international from close range.
Both players then came to blows, with Batshuayi throwing his teammate to the ground. They continued to have a go at each other and had to be separated by teammates.
The incident occurred in the build-up to last night’s game against Arsenal. The animosity was not on show on the pitch as they held the Gunners to a 0-0 draw.
Milivojevic played 89 minutes on the night while Batshuayi was an unused substitute.
Whether any action will be taken against Batshuayi remains to be seen. The incident comes at a poor time given the striker’s on-field troubles.
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Frank Lampard is keen to offload the Belgian permanently. However, they could also accept a loan deal. The 27-year-old joined Chelsea in 2016. He has however failed to meet the required levels and has spent three spells out on loan. (h/t Birmingham Mail)
He has done precious little this time around to show he has what it takes to succeed at Chelsea.
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Report – The major reason why Chelsea are stalling on a move for £80m star
Chelsea stalling on Declan Rice thanks to Frank Lampard being on a slippery slope
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), the uncertainty surrounding the future of Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is impacting the club’s pursuit of Declan Rice.
The West Ham United star has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. While we failed to land him in the summer, rumours regarding a renewed interest continue to run strong.
The player for his part is also keen to return to Chelsea. Rice was initially on Chelsea’s books before being released by the club at the age of 14.
The Blues are coming off the back of a poor December that saw them fall away in the title race. A run of one win in six games has seen the Blues fall to 10th place in the Premier League.
This has called into question Lampard’s position as the manager. While he is set to be given time to set things right, Roman Abramovich is ensuring the club is ready if a change needs to be made.
The Russian oligarch has already created a five-man shortlist of candidates to replace Lampard if results don’t pick up. (h/t The Daily Mail)
Red flags galore?
A move for Rice was already difficult given West Ham’s massive £80million asking price. There is also no common stand at the club regarding a move for the midfielder.
Lampard for his part is a huge fan of the 21-year-old English international. The same cannot be said of the board, who have reservations. (h/t The Express)
They remain unconvinced if the youngster has the required quality and has the ability to step up to a Champions League level side. It would appear that at this point in time, any chance of us bringing in Rice rests on Lampard keeping his job.
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Chelsea take on Fulham next in the Premier League. A win should give Lampard some breathing space and the foundation to put together a run of good results.
It promises to be an interesting second half of the season.
A View From The Bridge
Transfer News: Chelsea receive a boost in the pursuit of prolific young European star
Chelsea given a boost in the race for prolific star Erling Haaland
According to Football.london, Chelsea have been given a boost in their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland.
The 20-year-old is one of Europe’s best marksmen and has taken his game up a notch at Dortmund. So far, Haaland has an impressive 34 goals in 35 games for the Germans. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Frank Lampard had informed the Chelsea hierarchy that he is keen to add the Norwegian to his roster. The likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Real Madrid are all keeping tabs on the player. (h/t The Express)
The lack of matchday revenue has impacted clubs’ ability to spend heavily in the transfer window. However, with fans hopefully set to return at least in a limited capacity towards the end of the season, there could be cash to spend in the summer.
The striker has a £70m release clause that kicks in next summer. To put it in context, it is lesser than what we paid for Kepa Arrizabalaga or Kai Havertz. (h/t The Mirror)
Haaland could be on the move come the summer. His agent Mino Raiola is keen to take him away from the German giants once the summer window opens. (h/t Football.london)
Despite signing Timo Werner, the German has largely started on the left than up front for Chelsea.
With Olivier Giroud’s contract expiring and Tammy Abraham still developing, the Blues lack an infallible scorer up front. Signing Haaland would certainly be a coup and could secure our frontline for years to come.
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Haaland has shown remarkable consistency and ability over the last couple of seasons. This has seen his reputation rise, winning him the Golden Boy award.
He has all the ability to turn into a leading striker in world football, if he isn’t already one. It would to be a dream to see him achieve it in Blue.
A View From The Bridge
Chelsea have a clear preference in loaning out this out-of-favour rising star
Chelsea prefer to loan out Fikayo Tomori to a foreign club
According to Football Insider (h/t Football.london), Chelsea prefer to send Fikayo Tomori out on loan to a foreign club.
This despite the youngster garnering interest domestically from the likes of Newcastle United and Leeds United. Tomori has fallen down the pecking order at the Bridge, making just a handful of appearances for the first XI.
The 23-year-old has played just 45 minutes of top-flight football this season. He is however believed to still be a part of Frank Lampard’s vision for the club. (h/t Football.london)
Tomori has also attracted attention from a number of continental sides. AC Milan are the latest and also the biggest overseas team linked with the Englishman.
A move to Italy would certainly be a boon for Tomori, who has seen his development stall in recent months. The opportunity to get more minutes is higher at the San Siro in comparison to Stamford Bridge.
Milan’s interest in Tomori is dependent on their pursuit of Mohamed Simakan. The Strasbourg youngster has been one of Ligue 1’s best talents this season and has also attracted attention from Stamford Bridge.
With Simakan now injured, chances of Tomori making the switch could be considered realistic.
Given that the youngster is a part of Lampard’s plans, it is surprising why we would not want to blood him in the Premier League. Both Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to an extent have benefitted this season from going out on loan to West Brom and Fulham respectively.
More Chelsea News
- Chelsea yet to make a move to land Paulo Dybala in the summer
- Chelsea hold talks with Thomas Tuchel and Massimilano Allegri
- Scott Parker expects Chelsea loanee Ruben Loftus-Cheek to fulfil promise
Tomori clearly has talent. But he is unlikely to fine tune it by sitting on the bench. Sending him out on loan is a no-brainer. However, where he eventually ends up remains to be seen.
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