Frank Lampard has made a stunning return to Chelsea, and is back at Cobham to take his first training session since Graham Potter’s sacking.
WHAT HAPPENED? The 44-year-old, who spent 13 years in west London as a player, has answered an SOS call from his former employers after seeing them forced back into the market for a new manager. Potter was relieved of his duties after just 31 games at the helm and no permanent successor has been appointed before the end of the 2022-23 campaign – despite strong links to the likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: That has given Lampard an opportunity to take the reins again some two years after he was given his own marching orders by the Blues. The ex-England international left a prominent Premier League post in January 2021 after collecting 44 victories from 84 games at the helm and was also given the boot by Everton in January of this year after 12 months at Goodison Park.
AND WHAT’S MORE: The former midfielder is reportedly back in Cobham this Thursday, according to various outlets such as Sportsmail, to take his first training session with his new squad. He will be joined by fellow Blues legend Ashley Cole, as well as Joe Edwards who worked alongside him during his previous spell in west London.
DID YOU KNOW? Lampard’s imminent appointment means N’Golo Kante will play under four different managers (Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Lampard) in five consecutive matches, due to his long-term injury which saw him out of action between August and March.
WHAT NEXT? Lampard returns to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea sat 11th in the Premier League table and back in charge of a squad that has seen £600 million ($748m) invested in it across the last two transfer windows. His first game back will see the Blues take in a trip to Wolves on Saturday – with the first leg of a Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu to follow next Wednesday.