Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted that it is "not ideal" for his team to have to face Fulham less than 72 hours after playing against Galatasaray in the Champions League.

The Blues arrived back in England at 6am on Thursday morning after securing a 1-1 draw in Turke. With his team scheduled to face Fulham on Saturday afternoon, Lampard has questioned whether the fixture could have been pushed back a further 24 hours.

The 35-year-old is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: "It's not ideal. We don't expect any favours and certainly know that we won't get them. It's about resting up and getting ready to go.

"I don't know about the Premier League but other countries seem to look after their teams representing them in the Champions League. I'm not sure that we do so much here.

"I'm not trying to get one over on other Premier League teams, it just seems a general rule. There could be a bit of common sense if you are getting back at 6am on Thursday."

Chelsea will go into the game with their local rivals with a one-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table.