Chelsea boss, Frank Lampard, wants the players to embrace the challenge of going to Real Madrid this week. Chelsea enter the first-leg of their Champions League semifinal on the back of defeat at Wolves and he wants only players willing to fight on the trip.

Lampard said: “If you’re worried, don’t come. The players shouldn’t be. It’s a carrot for them when they sign for Chelsea.

“Every player in that squad, whether it’s Mateo Kovacic, who has won two Champions League and played in World Cup semifinals, finals, you deserve to play for Chelsea or if you’re Mudryk and you come here, you’ve had your pathway to get here. You’re here for a reason.” He explained the loss to Wolves as normal, adding, however, that the players must roll up their sleeves for the club.

“To expect everything to come together as a squad is maybe not the case. I’m not saying the squad- doesn’t have aggression, it’s just bringing together.

“Sometimes, a bit of confidence, a lack of confidence can look like aggression to the eye. As a team, we were up against a team that was very aggressive today and maybe some second balls and duels and things like that we weren’t quite at.

“I don’t mind saying because it has to be said to be a reality to be dealt with. Wednesday will be a completely different game, but those things are always still there in some form or another. We’ve got a few days to recover, prepare and go again,” he said.

(AFP)

•Chelsea’s English caretaker manager Frank Lampard applauds fans on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at the Molineux stadium in Wolverhampton, central England on April 8, 2023

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