Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has explained why Billy Gilmour started for the Blues in their 3-2 win over Crystal Palace this evening.
It was a big move from Lampard to play Gilmour in the heart of the midfield, with the 19-year-old starting just his second Premier League game.
Gilmour made a good start and was solid in possession, however the Blues lost some control and with around ten minutes to go, Jorginho replaced the young Scot.
It was a the first minutes the Italy international had played since the restart, but Lampard insists that the decision to start the youngster will have no bearing on Jorginho's future.
"I thought Billy did pretty well," Lampard said. "I wasn’t overly delighted with our midfield today.
"I think considering how they have played in recent games and how slickly we have moved the ball in recent games and rotation, I thought we held onto it a bit long today.
"The reason I played Billy is a choice," Lampard added. "The two games Billy played before lockdown against Liverpool, probably the best team in the world, and Everton were fantastic.
"He trains like that as well, so does Jorginho, he trains really well. Little moments or my opinion of how I look at the game mean I have to make difficult choices through the games.
"It doesn’t mean anything for the future of Jorginho, Gilmour or anyone else in the team, or on the impact that Jorginho had on the team in calming the team down with his passes at the end.
"I know he can give us that and he will continue to give us that."
