Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has urged his strikers to 'rise to the competition' as they battle it out to be his main front man this season.
The Blues have struggled with an out-and-out number nine ever since Diego Costa last played a game in the 2016/17 Premier League-winning campaign.
Alvaro Morata flopped before Gonzalo Higuain failed to take his chance on loan from Juventus, while Olivier Giroud has played a bit-part in Chelsea's domestic competitions.
This summer, Giroud, Tammy Abraham and Michy Batshuayi are battling it out to be the main man for Lampard in the upcoming campaign, with all three having found the back of the net at some stage in the four pre-season matches.
The latest was Abraham who netted the opening goal in the 2-1 win over Barcelona at the Saitama Stadium, and while Lampard knows that will give him confidence, there is still a long way to go before he is guaranteed a starting spot
"For Tammy, he's a goalscorer and he's hungry for goals, Lampard said after the game. "That's what I love about his attitude as he constantly wants to score and I saw that in the Championship last year.
"He's proven that and now it's his time to prove it for Chelsea. Confidence is big for goalscorers, so to get his goal will put him in good stead.
"Olivier Giroud came on and I thought he did very well as he showed his different styles and attributes that he brings. The same with Batshuayi.
"There's competition and people keep talking a lot about it. They all need to rise to the competition and show they can be a striker for Chelsea.
"I've got full confidence in that. It's great for Tammy."
