Frank Lampard will have to find a balance between rotation to avoid injuries and consistency to maintain good form as Chelsea prepare for two games before the international break.
The Chelsea manager has confirmed that Christian Pulisic will have to miss the Rennes game despite having already returned to training after suffering a minor muscle injury — which could make way for Callum Hudson-Odoi to start in his favourite left-winger role.
Similarly, Billy Gilmour has also been back in training but will likely not be match ready yet, having been sidelined for a few months following a knee injury.
On a positive note, Marcos Alonso who already served his suspension in the previous two games against Sevilla and Krasnodar will now be available if Lampard wants to rest Ben Chilwell.
The England international missed the first few games of the season due to a heel injury but has been an integral part of Lampard’s plan since his recovery and has played full 90 minutes in all of Chelsea’s five games after the international break.
The German pair Kai Havertz and Timo Werner also featured in all of those five games and would be the ones who would deserve some rest.
However, Lampard emphasised the importance of having a consistent line-up in his pre-match press conference, which suggests that he wants to keep the team rotation to a minimum.
“It’s my job to balance between getting consistency in selection, particularly if we are in good form, but also making sure the squad stay fit and fresh as they can,” he told the reporters on Tuesday(via HaytersTV YouTube channel).
Chelsea will have only two games left, against Rennes and Sheffield United on Saturday, before the international break where some players can hopefully get their rest.
Predicted Chelsea line-up (4-3-3):
Mendy
Azpilicueta – Silva/Rudiger – Zouma – Chilwell/Alonso
Kante/Jorginho
Havertz/Kovacic – Mount
Ziyech – Abraham/Giroud – Hudson-Odoi
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