New Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez has once again refused to confirm if Frank Lampard will still be with the club beyond the January transfer window.
During a recent press conference, Benitez admitted to the press that both Lampard and his teammate Ashley Cole were likely to leave Stamford Bridge when their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign.
Despite claiming that the language barrier may have confused his words, Benitez stopped short of revealing if he wanted England midfielder Lampard to stay put.
"When I was asked the other day, maybe it was a misunderstanding or maybe my English was not good enough, but the situation I know is that they are finishing their contracts [in the summer]. Past that, I do not know," he told the club's official website.
"I know that Frank is happy here and he is a player that is part of the leadership, he is one of the important players, but I do not know about his future.
"So I cannot say yes or no, he will stay or he will leave, in January or even at the end of the season. At this moment, I do not know."
Lampard is currently on the sidelines with a calf injury that he sustained in October.
Liam Apicella
