The news that Frank Lampard has suffered another injury will not have been welcome news for Carlo Ancelotti. He has already missed the last 2 months and looks set to miss a further 3 weeks. It is not only his goals that Chelsea are missing; it is his extra presence in attack that is really noticeable. His late forays into the box are a vital part of Chelsea’s offensive tactics and none of his replacements have been able to do this.
Last weeks second half display at Anfield demonstrated exactly why he is so missed by Chelsea. The number of times the ball fell to the edge of the box and was met by red shirts first was a worrying feature for Ancelotti. Whilst Essien has been contributing with goals it seems the burden on Anelka, Drogba and Malouda has become too great. Any side would miss a player who has contributed over 20 goals a season from midfield for 5 seasons but it is Lampard’s overall game they are really missing.
It must be said however that Chelsea remain top of the league and have a superior goal difference to every other team but with the busy Christmas schedule only round the corner they will need Lampard fully fit if they are to retain their Premiership crown.
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