Good evening, Chelsea fans. Here are your evening headlines for Friday, October 16.
Lampard gives Mendy injury update
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has confirmed goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is ruled out of tomorrow's Premier League game against Southampton.
The summer signing suffered a knock while on international duty with Senegal, but is not expected to be a long-term absentee. Kepa Arrizabalaga or Willy Caballero will start in his place.
Lampard also provided updates on the fitness of fellow new signings Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell.
“Mendy won't be fit for the match tomorrow, we hope the injury's not too long,” the Chelsea boss said.
“Thiago Silva after his trip, he's not unfit but he's not ready to play the game because of the travelling and the game that he played. So he won't be in the squad.
“Ben Chilwell is in the squad, so he's got over some of the feeling that he had which took him out of the England squad around the injury he's had for a while now.
“Christian Pulisic is in the squad and fit to play, Hakim Ziyech in the squad, he's not fit to start but fit to participate for some minutes we hope.”
Lampard ‘excited’ by Ziyech return
Lampard says he is “excited” to see Ziyech in action following his return from injury.
The winger, signed from Ajax last February, has been out of action since picking up a knee injury in a pre-season friendly against Brighton and Hove Albion.
And the Chelsea manager is expecting big things from the new arrival when he finally makes his first competitive appearance for the club.
“We brought Hakim here and it feels like a long time ago now, but he also hasn't played since the Dutch league finished during lockdown,” Lampard said.
“It's a long time and he's worked so hard, he's been fantastic in terms of his professionalism to get fit, and he looks really good in training. I've got a really open relationship with him to know where he's at, and how I feel about it. So it's just game minutes that we need now.
“But yes of course I'm excited to get him in and around it, to bring what we brought him to the club for. Which is the opportunity to create chances for us, to be the talented player that he is and we saw at Ajax. And I look forward to seeing him play.”
Werner reveals Hasenhuttl influence ahead of Southampton clash
Timo Werner has admitted he learned “a lot” while playing under current Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl at RB Leipzig.
The Austrian coach took charge of Leipzig in 2016, staying for two years before making the switch to the Premier League in 2018.
And Werner has opened up about his relationship with Hasenhuttl, who will be aiming to guide his side to victory over Chelsea tomorrow.
“I talked a lot to Hasenhuttl before moving to Leipzig,” Werner told Chelsea’s official website . “He’s a very nice guy, very jokey, and from the first time we spoke to each other it was a good relationship.
“It was the next step for me, a different team with different possibilities. It was important for me when I left my hometown to be with a manager with a good idea of football and a good personality.
“He taught me a lot about pressing, and switching from defence to offence very fast when we win the ball back. That was really interesting and helped me a lot in my game. It gave me space for my movements and my strengths.”
