Chelsea resumed their Premier League campaign this past weekend with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa away from home and next up they take on Manchester City at the Bridge.
The Blues have gotten some much-needed wind in their sails this weekend but stopping Man City will be no easy assignment especially after the way Guardiola’s men blew away Arsenal last week at the Etihad. And speaking after the Villa win, Frank Lampard has hinted that he could heavily rotate his squad on Thursday, thereby resting a number of his key players.
The manager said when asked about rotating his squad, as per Football London: “Yes, tentatively. I did before this game try and look at it.
“It is difficult because what happens in this game always affects the next one. But you have to plan and look forward so I have got an idea and I will look at how players recover first and foremost.
“It is a big ask because some players who have played 90 minutes today when I didn’t expect them to. Some have been out for a while and how do their bodies recover so I will look at that as well.
“It will be a different type of game City. It will be a team who want to play possession so a big part of our game will be our pressing.
“Today, we couldn’t do it. It was more about recoveries and second balls against City we will want to be more aggressive in the work we do to win it back.
“We will look at the attributes of the players and we will see.”
Games will be coming thick and fast and we are certain that a few players who featured against Villa will be rested but at the same time, the manager will not want to drop his key men for such a high-profile encounter.
Players like Rudiger, Mount and Mateo Kovacic should reprise their roles in the first XI while Sunday’s subs like Pulisic and Reece James are expected to start at the Bridge.
Lampard will be eager to pick up a win vs City this week cause if they do so then Chelsea will have a real chance of finishing third on the league table but at the same time, the manager will have to be mindful of his players’ fitness, especially since they are still playing in Europe this season.
