LampardLampa challengeschallen fringe players to shine vsv Sevilla
LONDON: Frank Lampard will rotate his Chelsea team for Wednesday’s Champions League Group E clash away to Sevilla and has challenged his fringe players to grab their chance.
With both sides on 10 points and assured of progress to the last 16, victory for either would clinch top spot.
“It’s certainly not a dead rubber, we want to win the group,” Lampard told reporters on Tuesday, saying Callum Hudson-odoi and Billy Gilmour are likely to be involved.
“The motivation for the players is to show why they should be in the starting eleven. Some players have been playing a lot.
“It’s been a hectic schedule. We have had players knocking on the door, but we won’t take it lightly.”
Forward hudson-o doi has struggled for first-team opportunities this season and was let out of the squad for Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Totenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
“It was difficult to tell him that he wasn’t in the Spurs squad as his atitude has been bang on,” Lampard said of the 20-year-old. “He was bright against Rennes and Newcastle (United).
“I am aware of Callum and where he is at, he took it well but it wasn’t and easy conversation.
“He is geting beter and is back in contention and I want him to keep that going. I want him to stay positive.”
Dortmund wait on Can, Meunier out for Lazio home clash: Borussia Dortmund are without rightback Thomas Meunier for Wednesday’s crunch Champions League tie at home to Lazio while a question mark hangs over the fitness of midfielder Emre Can.
Dortmund top their group, a point ahead of second-placed laz io, and victory at signal id una park would guarantee either club a place in the last 16.
A draw would also put both clubs through, provided Brugge fail to beat Zenit St Petersburg in the other Group F tie.
Since joining from Paris Saint-germain in July, Meunier, 29, had started all of Dortmund’s matches this season, but the Belgium international misses out this time with a calf injury. Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said Tuesday that Portugal winger Raphael Guerreiro should be fit ater shaking off a leg knock.
However, defensive midfielder Can suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s 2-1 shock defeat to Cologne, “so we will have to see,” Favre added.
The Germans crashed 3-1 in Rome when the clubs met in October as Lazio striker Ciro Immobile scored and set up another goal for midfielder Jean-daniel Akpa Akpro against his former club.