‘I’ve not had time’: Lampard says he’s barely been able to check £10m Chelsea player’s level in training yet

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Frank Lampard has admitted he’s hardly had time to even see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in training since returning to Chelsea.

He told The 5th Stand that the 33-year-old needs to have been playing regularly in order to be at his best right now.

Aubameyang has recently seen a return to the pitch after a number of months being surplus to requirements under Graham Potter.

After joining the club for £10m, the situation got worse than anyone could have imagined when he was dropped from the Champions League squad for the knockout stage of the competition.

This has gone on whilst the club have struggled to find the net during this campaign, in the face of hardly utilising a regular striker this season.

Lampard hardly watched Aubameyang

While he has been a passenger for the majority of the season, appearances have been easier to come by under Lampard.

This is despite the Englishman admitting that he’s hardly had a chance to watch him in training so far.

He said: “I would say that it is a position where, probably more than anywhere on the pitch, you need to be sharp, firing and consistent in your work. That is what makes top strikers. If you are out of the team for a while, when you come back with that lack of edge, it is very difficult. Top strikers play regularly, stay fit and score goals. It all goes hand in hand.

“When I came in, it was clear Aubameyang had not played a lot of minutes this season. But what was also clear was the level of player we have. I have had no time to look at players in training over big areas as we’ve had a game every few days. I’ve not had time to see where he’s at, other than feeling.”

An appearance tonight would see Aubameyang thrown in against his former side, and one of the best in the league against Arsenal.