Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has hit out at Willian by stating that he has yet to decide who will wear the number 10 jersey next season. The Brazil international has worn the number 22 jersey with the Blues over the years, but he has recently indicated that he has been offered the number 10 shirt after the departure of Eden Hazard.
In a press conference, Lampard clarified that the comments made by Willian are false and he has yet to decide as to who would represent the shirt number. He added that Willian is currently going through the final phase of recovery from a hamstring injury picked up at the Copa America and he could return to training by next month, he said: “There’s no confirmation on that decision. It will be taken in due course. Hopefully his return to training date will be early August.”
Chelsea have produced a mixed bag in terms of performances during pre-season but there are still positives from the fact that a number of young players have impressed. The likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham have already earned plaudits from the manager and the duo stand the chance of make the matchday squad when the Blues face Manchester United in the league opener next month.
Elsewhere, Lampard will be hoping for some positive news on the injury front. Antonio Rudiger, Callum Hudson and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are unlikely to return before the curtain raiser but N’Golo Kante appears close to making a comeback. The Frenchman has not recovered from the knee problem which had troubled him towards the end of the previous season, but Lampard remains optimistic that the midfielder will return to training in the next few days. Chelsea have friendlies scheduled against Reading, Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Monchengladbach before the new campaign.