Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech only lasted 30 minutes on the pitch in Chelsea’s 3 – 1 win over Leeds United on Saturday, after picking a hamstring injury.
However, Frank Lampard has allayed worries over a possibility that it might take a longer duration before Ziyech swings back into action.
The blues boss, who isn’t worried about the present situation, having spoken with the 27-year-old, thinks the problem will not sideline the player for months.
“He came to us at the back end of last season and trained a lot,” Lampard said about Ziyech. “The injury [in pre-season] was disappointing and he missed some weeks, but straightaway he showed his intensity to work in the gym and on the training pitches as soon as he was back, and that was why he hit the ground running when he came into the team.
“I hope this is a minor injury. The feeling he had since the game is that it doesn’t feel too bad, which I’m hoping means we’ll be talking a couple of weeks, but we will wait for the scan.
“I’m not worried too much, he’s a fit lad, and he’s shown he will be an important player for us.”
Ziyech is definitely out of the Champions League clash with Krasnodar on Tuesday, but having already qualified it hands Lampard the chance to rotate his pack.
Lamard confirmed Kepa Arrizabalaga will take over in goal, and Billy Gilmour will start in midfield.
The manager stressed that he wants his players to get through the game without further injuries.
Asked about what he wants from the game, Lampard said: “Certainly no injuries, and some minutes for people who have not played as much as they would want and to show they deserve to play more, and to gain some more match fitness.
“You can’t switch the idea of winning on and off, so I want to see the right attitude in how we approach the game.”
Chelsea will play Krasnodar on Tuesday in the Champions League after which games with Everton, Wolves, West Ham, Arsenal and Aston Villa follows.
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