Skip to content

Lampard wants Premier League to extend Chelsea's offseason

Craig Mercer/MB Media / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Frank Lampard urged the Premier League to give Chelsea more time to recuperate after the club's upcoming Champions League last-16 affair with Bayern Munich.

The Chelsea manager is concerned that his squad returning to domestic action on Sept. 12 wouldn't provide enough of a recovery period following the rigors of next Saturday's second leg with the German champions.

The odds are firmly stacked against the Blues ahead of the Bayern showdown following their 3-0 setback in February's opening fixture at Stamford Bridge.

"I am guessing we will be told when we start and that will be dependent on how we will go against Bayern Munich," Lampard said, according to the Evening Standard's Simon Collings. "The players need a rest before we prepare for that game.

"Even in a worst-case scenario we don't go through against Bayern, the 12th feels too early for me for the players to start playing again. The players need a break."

Lampard cited the recent injuries to Willian, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Christian Pulisic as evidence of why his team needs a longer spell away from the pitch. The former was left out of the matchday squad for Saturday's FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal with an undisclosed issue, while Azpilicueta and Pulisic were withdrawn during the showpiece with hamstring ailments.

"I would like to think the Premier League would look seriously at that and hopefully give us a fair start next season," Lampard added. "We deserve to be, as a Premier League club competing in the Champions League."

Chelsea's schedule is unlikely to change, The Guardian's Nick Ames reports. The Premier League and its clubs agreed to a minimum of 30 days between their respective campaigns following the hiatus prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. If Bayern eliminate Chelsea next weekend, there will be 35 days between the west London outfit's 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox