Frank Lampard details Chelsea’s triple injury blow ahead of Arsenal showdown
Frank Lampard has confirmed Chelsea will be without three first-team stars for the trip to Arsenal on Boxing Day.
The Blues bounced back from two Premier League defeats with a comfortable 3-0 victory over West Ham on Monday night.
But left-back Ben Chilwell lasted just 10 minutes before being substituted in the London derby after suffering an ankle injury early on.
The £45million summer signing joins Reece James on the sidelines as the 21-year-old recovers from a knee injury.
As well as his two first-choice full-backs, Lampard confirmed he will also be without playmaker Hakim Ziyech for the clash with Arsenal after the Moroccan suffered a thigh injury earlier in December.
(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
“No, he [Ziyech] won’t be fit for Arsenal,” said Lampard, adding: “He had a knee injury at the start of the season and he now has a muscle injury.
“You have to wait to recover. It’s not a long-term concern and we hope to have him back in the next week or so.
“And hopefully he can offer what he did before because he was offering great things.
(Image: Ben Stansall/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
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“We missed that in a way but that’s football, that’s a squad and it’s what happens when players are playing at high level every two or three days.”
Lampard also ruled Reece James and Ben Chilwell out of the Arsenal clash, while he is unsure whether either star will be fit to face Aston Villa two days later.
“They’re both doubtful. We’re not sure whether they will be fit for either game,” said the Blues boss.
The update comes as a blow after Lampard spoke of his hope Chilwell and James could be involved in at least one of the quick-fire festive fixtures.
He said Monday: “Reece and Chilly have been doing really well so we hope both their injuries are not too bad and they’ll be in and around those two games over Christmas.”
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