Here are your Chelsea evening headlines for Monday, December 7.
Chelsea set sights on Sebastian Walukiewicz
Chelsea have been named among several Premier League clubs as interested parties in Sebastian Walukiewicz of Cagliari.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Walukiewicz is the subject of interest from Manchester United and Liverpool as well as the Blues after a series of excellent performances in Serie A.
Still only 20, the Polish defender broke in the Cagliari side in the closing stages of last season after transferring from Pogon Szczecin.
Chelsea signed Thiago Silva on a free transfer in the summer and also brought in Malang Sarr, who was loaned out for the season to Porto. He provides a short-term solution to last season’s defensive woes, but investment in a more sustainable and long-term option is expected in the near future.
Lampard delivers Ziyech, Hudson-Odoi injury update
Frank Lampard gave an injury update on wingers Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League tie against Krasnodar.
Ziyech was substituted in the first half of Chelsea’s win over Leeds United as he pulled up with a muscular problem.
On Monday, Lampard confirmed: “He is going for a scan this afternoon, so I will have more information later. I hope it's a minor injury. Long-term I am not worried about him at all.”
Lampard also revealed that Hudson-Odoi will miss the Champions League contest, which would have been the ideal opportunity for the young winger to feature with Chelsea having already tied up top spot in the group.
“Callum Hudson-Odoi is also out with a hamstring problem,” Lampard said in his press conference.
Neville impressed by Lampard
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville heaped praise on the Chelsea manager and his approach to the Tottenham Hotspur match last weekend as well as their subsequent win over Leeds at Stamford Bridge.
After Spurs dismantled Arsenal on the counter-attack on Sunday, winning the North London Derby 2-0, Neville reflected on the difference between Mikel Arteta and Lampard, praising the latter for his in-game management as Arteta fell into Jose Mourinho’s trap.
“What you can start to do is give Frank Lampard a little bit of credit for what he did last week for not falling,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“I know what you’re saying, Jamie [Redknapp], but they [Arsenal] did over commit in those two moments. They’ve been beaten in the way they were always going to be beaten.
“Chelsea last week didn’t fall for it and in the end, they had a couple of chances.”
