Chelsea interim manager, Frank Lampard, has confirmed that three members of his squad will miss the next match against Brentford, including two who could have played their last game this season due to injury.
Speaking to the media ahead of Chelsea hosting Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening, Frank Lampard provided an update on the injury situation among his squad, revealing three new additions to his list of absentees in Kai Havertz, Reece James and Mason Mount.
‘Reece James is unavailable for this game and probably for the rest of the season as well,’ said our caretaker manager. ‘Reece had a hamstring injury that he picked up in the Madrid game, got through the game, but we scanned it in the following days and he’ll be out.
‘Kai is still struggling a bit with his knee so he hasn’t been training with us, which is obviously disappointing for us, but he should be back training at the start of the week.’
There was further bad news on Mount, who’s playing time has been severely restricted recently as he attempted to manage an issue. However, that attempt appears to have been unsuccessful, meaning more time on the sidelines.
‘Mason is the same as Reece unfortunately, although he possibly might be back in time for our last game of the season, but that’s not certain,’ added Lampard.
‘Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for a quite a while, it definitely predates myself by a while.
‘He’s been trying, typically, and the medical staff have been trying, but we’ve got to the stage now where he will have minor surgery and that will be probably a four-week recovery, and we all know where that gets us to.’
Lampard on the chance to rotate his team
Our caretaker manager was also asked if he would use our remaining games to give some of the lesser-used members of his squad an opportunity to impress, confirming that his approach to selection remains unchanged.
‘If they deserve it, for sure. There’s the individual work of showing that you deserve it and I’m fully for that.
‘In my first period at the club I came in with a transfer ban and losing big players and everyone said of course the young players would get in the team. They got in the team because of how they trained and those things and that’s a culture you need at a football club and not something that should change just for the moment.
‘Every day in training is an opportunity now to try and show you deserve to be in the team I’ve shown as a coach, if you do that you’ll always get an opportunity with me.’
Chelsea vs Brentford injury list
Kalidou Koulibaly has missed our last two matches since going off with a hamstring injury in the first leg of our Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, while Armando Broja continues his rehabilitation from cruciate ligament damage.
