Frank Lampard confirms 3 Chelsea superstars are fit for UCL showdown against Real Madrid
Stand-in Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that Thiago Silva, Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante are fit and available for the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash with holders Real Madrid. All three players have been out injured and returned to training recently.
Chelsea's only hope of silverware this season remains the Champions league, but the Blues have their task cut out. They are up against the holders in the first leg on Wednesday (April 12) and will need to be at their best to dump out a formidable Los Blancos side.
In his pre-match press conference, Lampard confirmed that he will have the three aforementioned players in his squad for the Wednesday night clash. The Chelsea caretaker manager also spoke about the need to rest Kante in the Premier League defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, explaining:
"Kante is managing his fitness. He is fit, but we know after his injury, the idea of game, game, game is too much. N'Golo will be fine, as it stands. It is not an issue; we were just managing his game time."
When asked about Mount, Lampard added:
"Mason has always been a fantastic player for me. I know he's had a few injury problems, so it'll be important for me to speak to him about that and find out where he's at.
"It's an absolute pleasure to watch him, and other players like Reece James, Tammy Abraham and (Fikayo) Tomori to go on and be huge players here or elsewhere. But I know what I get from Mason. I just want to see him perform on the pitch. We have a good relationship. We talk a lot. He's been a huge player for Chelsea."
Paul Scholes surprised to see Frank Lampard at Chelsea
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has admitted his surprise at Frank Lampard getting the caretaker job at Stamford Bridge.
He also reckons N'Golo Kante returning could be a huge factor for the Englishman. Scholes said:
"I was a bit surprised (by Lampard's return), especially with the way it ended at Chelsea. His Everton time did not go great, but you can't blame Frank; he has got to take this opportunity. One thing that is good for Frank is they have got N'Golo Kante back. He's only played two games but makes a huge difference to the team."
The Blues are working on appointing a permanent manager, with talks reportedly ongoing with Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique.