MX23RW : Friday, December 20 22:06:13| >> :120:4574:4574:
[monks data]
Attendance: 39,469
Chelsea logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 17, 2019 at 8pm UK
 
Valencia logo

0-1

FT(HT: 0-0)
Rodrigo (75')

Frank Lampard looking forward to managerial Champions League bow

Frank Lampard looking forward to managerial Champions League bow
© Reuters
The Chelsea manager will lead his side into continental action for the first time on Tuesday.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is relishing the prospect of his first Champions League match as a manager.

The occasion comes on Tuesday when the Blues kick off their Group H campaign by hosting Valencia.

Lampard's playing career with Chelsea included making over 100 appearances in the Champions League and helping them win the competition in 2011-12.

Frank Lampard lifts the Champions League trophy in 2012
Frank Lampard won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012 (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The Valencia contest follows Saturday's 5-2 Premier League win at Wolves, which saw Chelsea's young academy graduates Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham – scorer of a hat-trick – and Mason Mount all register goals.

When Lampard was asked about the victory at Molineux in terms of momentum and the game coming next, he said: "It's certainly a good feeling to see the team play the way they did.

"We need more clean sheets, that's something we continually need to work on.

"But, yeah – the Champions League. It is the top club competition in world football and I'm sure Mason and Tammy and Tomori are all excited for it.

"All the players should be, all players love the Champions League – and I'm looking forward to my debut as a manager."

Fikayo Tomori, left, and Tammy Abraham celebrate Tomori's goal against Wolves
Fikayo Tomori, left, and Tammy Abraham celebrate Tomori's goal against Wolves (Nick Potts/PA)

Abraham came off in the 77th minute on Saturday looking to be in discomfort, and Lampard – who has stressed that when it comes to the Champions League he will "just pick on merit" and "won't consider age" – has confirmed the 21-year-old striker had been suffering with cramp.

Chelsea are assessing defender Antonio Rudiger, who was substituted at half-time after slipping on his way off the pitch and feeling pain in his groin.

Meanwhile, Lampard says he thinks Callum Hudson-Odoi is "not far off" as he continues his recovery from the Achilles injury he sustained in April.

The 18-year-old England winger played an hour for Chelsea's Under-23s on Friday and Lampard said: "I did watch him and I have spoken with him. I think he's not far off.

"I think we have to be careful because it was a big injury, a major injury, and what we have done is actually get him back ahead of time.

"We have to make sure the strength is right in the area because it could lead to other injuries if we go too soon, too quickly. But the way he played (on Friday), I think he's not far away. He's been training with us now for two or three weeks."

When asked if he had a particular game in mind for Hudson-Odoi, Lampard said: "No, I haven't really, because the squad is strong.

"We obviously have the Carabao Cup (a home match against Grimsby on September 25) coming and that will be maybe an opportunity to look at players who have been injured or some different options.

"But in between time, if players show, if Callum shows in this week, and how good he is in training, I'll have to consider him probably from now on."

Lampard said ahead of the Wolves match that midfielder N'Golo Kante, who has been absent for the last three games due to an ankle issue, was "hopefully close to a return".

ID:371599: cacheID:371599:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7925:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Christian Pulisic celebrates scoring for Chelsea on July 31, 2019
Read Next:
How Chelsea could line up against Valencia
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Broncos
27-34
Chargers
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
1Liverpool660018
2Barcelona650115
3B. Leverkusen641113
4Inter Milan641113
5Brest641113
6Arsenal641113
7Aston Villa641113
8Lille641113
9Bayern640212
10Dortmund640212
11Atletico640212
12AC Milan640212
13Atalanta632111
14Juventus632111
15Benfica631210
16Feyenoord631210
17Brugge631210
18Monaco631210
19Sporting Lisbon631210
20Real Madrid63039
21Celtic62319
22Man City62228
23PSV62228
24Dinamo Zagreb62228
25PSG62137
26Stuttgart62137
27Shakhtar61144
28Sparta Prague61144
29Sturm Graz61053
30Girona61053
31Red Star61053
32Salzburg61053
33Bologna60242
34RB Leipzig60060
35Slovan Bratislava60060
36Young Boys60060


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!