Lampard rules four Blues out
Frank Lampard has ruled four Chelsea first-team players out of the Blues’ visit to Manchester United on Thursday evening.
Benoit Badiashile, Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Mason Mount will all miss out on the trip to Old Trafford.
A number of other players – including N’Golo Kante, Marc Cucurella and Mateo Kovacic – have also been on the sidelines recently, but Joao Felix is available again after missing Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester City.
Armando Broja and Marcus Bettinelli look to be out of the game too, with Lampard suggesting that his squad would largely be the same as it was at the Etihad Stadium, bar Felix.
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“There are no returning players,” said Lampard at his pre-match press conference. “Mason, Reece and Chilly won’t make the game. Benoit Badiashile we know is out.
“We are as we were. Joao Felix had a small injury at the weekend, and he is involved.”
In a difficult campaign for the Londoners, Badiashile has impressed since joining in January from Monaco, but the young Frenchman is set for a prolonged period of absence as reports suggest he picked up a groin injury during training.
"It's a big blow for him and I am disappointed for him too,” added Frank.
“He is going to be a big player for this club. It is an unfortunate, complicated injury. It is months rather than weeks.
“I hope for him that the timing of it over the summer means he won’t miss many games.”
Our visitors are hoping for a positive end to a tumultuous season which will see them finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table for the first time since 1996.
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The last five top-flight meetings between the sides have finished level, while Alvaro Morata was the most recent Chelsea player to score a winning goal against United in the league, back in November 2017.
It’s the third head-to-head between Lampard and Erik ten Hag of the campaign, with the Dutchman coming out on top on the previous two occasions.
United beat Lampard’s Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park back in October and we also knocked the Toffees out of the Emirates FA Cup at the beginning of this year, shortly before they parted company with the former England international.