Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has described the 3-0 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League as a learning process for Frank Lampard's side.
The Blues suffered a humbling defeat at home at the hands of the German champions, with former Arsenal man Serge Gnabry netting twice for Bayern Munich, and Robert Lewandowski adding a third goal to give the visitors a huge advantage ahead of the second leg.
Frank Lampard's men now have a mountain to climb to try and overturn a three-goal deficit in Germany, with the Blues set to be without a number of key players, including Jorginho and Marcos Alonso, who will both miss the game through suspension.
But former Chelsea and Bayern Munich star Michael Ballack suggested the German side exposed the Blues at times in the first leg of the last 16 clash, with Mount one of the players he said was unfortunate on the night.
“He [Mason Mount] was a bit unlucky, he was doing one versus one against [Alphonso] Davies,” Ballack told Chelsea TV.
“He has phenomenal speed which you don’t just see in the Bundesliga but at international level, it’s outstanding.
“He had two or three good runs and maybe a little bit of an advantage but he got beaten really quick.
“But you also have to find different ways, that’s a learning process, next time he will position himself better, maybe they [the team] push up."
Mount was not the only Chelsea star who a former Blues player has expressed sorrow for, with Frank Leboeuf saying that he felt "sad" for Reece James up against Gnabry and Davies on Bayern's left hand side.
But Ballack believes Chelsea will learn from the defeat, which should stand the younger players in the Blues side in good stead for the future.
“Also it’s a learning in the group as a team about positioning on the pitch better," he said.
“I thought most of the time they were too deep. Even if you play sometimes deep, it’s not a problem to have it under control, but you have to change rhythm as well but they couldn’t do it, they couldn’t create it.”
