We must give Havertz time, insists Lampard

CHELSEA run the risk of repeating costly errors t hey made with Mohammed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne if they do not give Kai Havertz time to flourish.

Salah and De Bruyne were deemed sub-standard when they were shipped out of Chelsea for a pittance, only to return as world- class players in Premier League winning sides for Liverpool and Manchester City.

And Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, who prepares to face De Bruyne and City today, will hand another chance to his £89 million summer signing Havertz to prove his worth.

Lampard struggled to make an immediate impact when he was a big-money Chelsea signing from West Ham. He is also mindful his 21-year-old German international, without a goal in seven games, suffered severely from Covid last

November while trying to adapt to the Premier League.

‘Just as Kai was coming to terms with the Premier League, he had some really good performances, he got Covid. And he had Covid quite severely,’ said Lampard.

‘People are starting to open up about it now. I have read a few t hings about how much some people can suffer with it. Some people are asymptomatic but he has definitely had a bit of fallout from having it. We are trying to help him deal with that.

‘I have full belief in him and we have to give him that time. I know I had to do extra work. Kai is different to me but with the knock back of Covid we have to give him time to do that work. I’m excited to take on that challenge with him.’