I’M ON CLOUD Abraham ‘honoured’ to be handed iconic jersey and repays faith with a first strike for Chelsea

Batshuayi. After pulling on the jersey once worn by Stamford Bridge legends Peter Osgood, Kerry Dixon and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, he laid down a marker with his goal.

Abraham said: “I’m honoured to wear the No 9 shirt. I spoke to the manager and he asked me if I was ready to take it and I said, ‘Yes, I’m ready’.”

Alvaro Morata and Gonzalo Higuain are among those who have failed in the jersey but Abraham said: “Football brings a lot of pressure. It drives me on. It gives me extra belief.

“I’ve heard all the rubbish about the No9. It was my first goal. Now that is out of the way it will be nice to push on and score more.” Lampard said: “Tammy is a goalscorer. He’s hungry for goals. That is what I like about his attitude.

“Goalscorers need confidence so to get his goal will put him in good stead.

“There is competition and it is vital one of these guys shows he can be the lead striker. I have got full confidence in them.”

Abraham missed a golden early chance when he blazed a rebound over, but the youngster was not daunted.

Jorginho closed down Oriol Busquets and the ball squirted out to Abraham, who neatly sidestepped Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen before stabbing the ball home.

Chelsea came under pressure at times but Lampard’s men defended well.

Their second goal came late on when Marcos Alonso fed Barkley and he fired a shot into the corner.

Rakitic’s late strike could not take the edge off a good night for Lampard.

The Chelsea boss expects N’Golo Kante to be fit for the start of the season, despite sending him home from the Japan tour to continue his rehabilitation from a knee injury.

Lampard said: “I think he will be training with us by the weekend.”

He added no decision had yet been taken on who would wear the No10 shirt left vacant after Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid, despite Brazil playmaker Willian saying he had been promised it.

“There is no confirmation of that decision,” said Lampard. “It will be taken in due course.”