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Premier League | Gameweek 33

Apr 26, 2023 at 7.45pm UK

Stamford Bridge

Chelsea
0 - 2
Brentford

Fofana (73')

FT(HT: 0-1)

Azpilicueta (37' og.), Mbeumo (78')
Jensen (46'), Henry (73')

Frank Lampard: 'New signings must earn Chelsea place'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 25 April 2023

Frank Lampard insists that he will not automatically hand starting roles to a number of Chelsea's fresher faces during the closing weeks of the season.

Frank Lampard has suggested that he has no intention of handing out game time which has not been earned by his Chelsea players.

Ahead of last week's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid, Lampard revealed that he picked a side which he felt was the club's strongest and fittest.

Despite only selecting one attacking player, Chelsea matched Los Blancos for an hour, and deserved the praise that they received for their performance against the defending champions.

However, the scenario facing Lampard has now changed, with Chelsea realistically out of contention for European qualification and Mauricio Pochettino expected to be named as the long-term replacement for Graham Potter.

Lampard has faced criticism for sometimes selecting players who could be on their way out of Chelsea in the summer, limiting the game time of the likes of Noni Madueke and Mykhaylo Mudryk in the process.

Chelsea's Mykhaylo Mudryk in action with Aston Villa's Ashley Young on April 1, 2023 © Reuters

Carney Chukwuemeka has also only been handed rare opportunities of late, albeit the youngster having to miss out through injury on occasions.

Lampard was naturally asked at a press conference ahead of Wednesday's fixture with Brentford whether his remit had changed and would a certain level of focus be placed on handing important Premier League experience to the aforementioned players.

Although Lampard did not rule out that possibility, he insisted that he would not gift minutes to players in his squad if he felt that they had not put in the work on the training pitch.

Speaking to reporters, the Englishman said: "If they deserve it, for sure. There are two things. There's the individual work, showing you deserve it. I'm fully for that.

Chelsea's Noni Madueke in action with Southampton's Romeo Lavia on February 18, 2023 © Reuters

"During 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 get in the team'. They got in the team because they deserved it with how they trained. That's a culture and a way you have to have at a top football club.

"I don't think changes just for the moment, I think it should always be there. Players have to train, those seven games and days of training are all opportunities every day to try and show you deserve to be in the team. As I think I've probably shown as a coach, if you do that, you'll always get an opportunity with me."

Mudryk, an £88m signing, has made six starts and six substitute outings in all competitions, while Chukwuemeka has made just one start and 11 appearances as a replacement.

Madueke, who was brought in from PSV Eindhoven in January, has been provided with just 216 minutes of Premier League football, none of those minutes coming under Lampard.