Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been warned over how to deal with new signing Timo Werner amid his poor run of form, after Christian Pulisic named Olivier Giroud as the most lethal striker at the club.
Werner has been disappointing recently following his £53million arrival from RB Leipzig.
The forward scored four times in his first eight Premier League games, but hasn’t found the net since.
A series of high-profile blunders in front of goal has been coupled with him being dropped by Lampard in favour of Giroud in recent weeks.
The French veteran has scored three goals in his last four league games, and appears to be Lampard’s favoured option through the middle.
And former Chelsea defender Scott Minto believes that if Werner’s lack of defensive awareness could lead to a gap on the left flank if he is played on the wing.
Speaking to Stadium Astro, he explained that playing Werner in the middle is probably the best option despite his lack of firepower in front of goal, as he believes the youngster will come good.
“He’s a player. He’s a defender’s nightmare,” Minto said.
“If he’s going to play on that left-hand side, Frank Lampard has a decision to make. If they are going to play him on the left and have a big man up front, then you have to accept that he is going to come inside and try to link up with [Olivier] Giroud or [Tammy] Abraham and defensively that is going to leave you open – as we saw against Arsenal.
“Or, you stick him up front - you play him on the last defender, try and bring everybody a little bit short, make the opposition defence compact for a ball over the top or slide passes for his pace.
“In terms of his finishing, he is another one that should have, and this is his fault, another seven or eight goals to his name this season.
“He has got himself, either by good movement or by doing it himself, into some fantastic positions, one-on-one with keepers, and just not been that ice-cold striker you need to be in front of goal. But I have no doubts whatsoever that he will come good.
“I do have a problem with him tactically, in terms of playing left and defending as a team, so is Frank willing to sacrifice having that protection having him on the left-hand side and coming in or are you going to stick him up front?
“I have no doubts he will be a big player for Chelsea over the coming years.”
