Frank Lampard is considering starting Christian Pulisic against Wolves on Tuesday night after revealing the American international trained over the weekend and will be part of Chelsea’s matchday squad.
Pulisic has featured sporadically for the Blues this season due to ongoing hamstring issues and played 60 minutes in the 3-1 win over Leeds on December 5 but didn’t feature in subsequent matches against Krasnodar and Saturday’s loss at Everton due to “discomfort”.
On the one hand, Pulisic’s potential availability answers a problem for Lampard with the Blues devoid of wingers due to Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s injuries, but the Chelsea manager must also remain cautious in managing him back to full fitness.
Pulisic missed the first five games of 2020/21, returned for the next five, then was absent for another batch of five before playing three more and then missing the last two. A worrying trend for both player and coach.
“Yes, he was out of the squad through injury so he was out of the squad at the weekend. He trained on the day we played against Everton and he felt better so he is in the squad for tomorrow,” Lampard said.
“It is yet to be decided whether he starts or not but it is positive news from where it was at the weekend.”
Without Ziyech and Pulisic and Kai Havertz’s adaptation to the Premier League taking time, the Blues lack a sense of creativity in midfield, which was apparent in the 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
They enjoyed a mammoth 72 per cent possession but fashioned just 10 shots at goal with three on target and neither Havertz nor Werner offered any kind of impact or penetration in the final third.
Lampard claims Everton mimicked Tottenham’s approach against them by retreating to a low block, allowing Chelsea all the ball and suffocating space; something Werner thrives on with his pace in behind.
“What we have to come to terms with, it felt like Everton played very similar to how Tottenham played against us a couple of weeks ago and if people are watching us of course they will to stop us from doing what we’ve been doing well,” Lampard added.
“It’s on us to find other ways. We didn’t move the ball quickly enough as a team to hit the sides to maybe turn them around.
“So I think we just need to understand that when teams make it difficult for us, we have to have ways to get round that. Our level dropped.”
