- Blues full-back unlikely to be seen again
- Mount may make the final weekend
- Unwelcome headache for inconsistent outfit
WHAT HAPPENED? England international full-back James is nursing a hamstring problem and is not expected to figure again for the Blues this season. There is still a chance that Mount, who is set to undergo minor surgery, could return before the end of the campaign, but that would only be for a final-day showdown with Newcastle.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Lampard has said when delivering a fitness update ahead of a Premier League clash with Brentford on Wednesday: “Reece James unavailable. Probably for the season. Mason Mount probably the same. Potential for the last game but probably not. Kai [Havertz] won't be available tomorrow.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lampard could do without injury headaches at present as Chelsea continue to languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table – with no wins collected from his four games at the helm. The Blues legend added on the challenges he has inherited as interim boss: “Very clear we came to this club when it's in difficulty. A lot of factors as to the four games we've had since we've been working here. The team and club have been struggling for a while and we've come in to help. The world won't change in a short time.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Chelsea sit 11th in the English top-flight at present, 20 points adrift of the top four and 11 behind seventh-placed Liverpool, with it looking highly likely that a club that invested £600 million ($746m) on fresh faces across the last two transfer windows will miss out on European qualification.