Frank Lampard To Start Against Manchester United
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to start against Manchester United on Sunday after he made a surprise appearance against Tottenham yesterday. Lampard had been injured since September and had not played a match for over three months. The England international
started on the bench for the Blues and was not expected to be brought on. However, despite not being match fit, Lampard made an appearance in the second half at White Hart Lane.
The match was a bit of a disappointment for the Blues, having only earned one point from it when they could’ve grabbed all three. The hosts scored a goal in the first half and Chelsea were left chasing once again. Carlo Ancelotti had changed things around,
which meant that Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard were on the bench. It was when the Ivoirian hit man came on that Chelsea seemed like their old selves again, as he scored an equalizer.
Ancelotti’s side was gaining strength and confidence, soon Lampard was brought on. The game could have gone either way after a late goal and the Blues were awarded the perfect chance as the referee Mike Dean awarded them a penalty towards the end of the
second half. For some reason, the regular penalty taker, Frank Lampard, did not take the penalty, instead it was Drogba. He missed, and it was a wasted opportunity to close the gap between Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Like everyone, Ancelotti was impressed with Lampard’s performance after being absent for over three months. The Italian manager revealed that he had a talk with Lampard, who had insisted that he wanted to be involved against Tottenham. Ancelotti was more
than happy, having missed the midfielder over the past months. Ancelotti told reporters,
“I think he will be able to start the next game. He wanted to be involved in the squad, to start from the bench, and this is very good news for us.”
Ancelotti informed the media that Lampard was back, training with the regular squad as usual. He revealed that the England midfielder would play in a friendly match during midweek and would start against rivals Manchester United. His absence has shown just
how important he is for the team, with his return Chelsea are expected to bounce back. This is assuming Frank Lampard stays fit for the remainder of the season.
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