Chelsea: Some are making Lampard’s starting selection impossible

Before a few injuries, it looked as if Chelsea’s starting XI was decided, but a few individuals have now make the selection near impossible for the gaffer.

If it weren’t for Coronavirus, I would encourage all Chelsea fans to take to the streets and ask a simple question to the members of their community: “who makes up the Blues’ best starting XI?” Chances are, no two supporters would have the same response. Thanks to a plethora of brilliant summer signings, Frank Lampard’s young team has an abundance of top tier players and not enough room to fit them all into the same starting line-up.

A lot of experimentation has gone on due to various injuries and the short turnaround for some games. Unfortunately, this has seen what many perceived to be the Blues’ best XI play together very little. This group spent a short amount of time on the pitch together before more extenuating circumstances forced Lampard to rotate once more. This time, however, a small group of individuals has made a case to be regulars in the starting XI over some of the new acquisitions.

The first—and most notable—of these players is Mateo Kovacic. Kovacic was Chelsea’s most vital individual last campaign, as shown by his Player of the Season award. However, when N’Golo Kante became fit and the Blues bought German wunderkind Kai Havertz, the Croatian’s spot in the starting rotation came into question. The speculation about his spot climaxed when he spent a few matches on the bench earlier in the season, but Havertz’s absence with Coronavirus has opened up a door for the midfielder to shine.

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Kovacic has strung together a series of show-stopping performances in recent weeks. He was voted Man of the Match against Tottenham, and for good reason. The 26-year-old was crucial in stopping the lethal counterattacks of Spurs. Jose Mourinho’s side sat back and waiting for the opportunity to pounce on its hosts, but Kovacic and Kante prevented that from happening. Although he’s not the most versatile in the final third, Kovacic was involved in a couple of the Blues’ best chances. Overall, he’s given Lampard a selection headache in the middle of the park. It initially looked as if he may be one of the casualties of Havertz’s arrival, but the manager may find a way to squeeze him into certain situations.

Another player whose playing time was questioned heavily heading into this new campaign was Tammy Abraham. Abraham got off to a scorching start to the beginning of his debut season as a first team Chelsea player. However, the period following the Premier League’s restart was not kind to the youngster. He struggled to return to form and spectated from the sideline as 34-year-old Olivier Giroud earned starts over him. Many Blues supporters were quick to write the youngster off heading into this season, especially with Timo Werner’s arrival.

Abraham is a warrior though. He improved multiple areas of his game—most notably his hold-up play—put his head down and worked. A hamstring injury to Christian Pulisic presented an opportunity to Abraham as Werner slotted into the vacant left wing position. The 23-year-old seized the moment. During the last month alone, Abraham has scored three goals and tacked on an assist. The English forward’s starts will surely dwindle now that the American is healthy, but this period of play showed us—and Lampard—that he’s a key cog in the Chelsea machine. Abraham has presented his case to be the Blues’ starting striker going forward, and it’s one to be heard.

While Mason Mount’s starting spot hasn’t been under review internally, many believed he would also see less time on the pitch due to the new reinforcements. We all now know that isn’t the case. Mount put on another masterful performance against Tottenham and he’s continued to develop as he grows older. Still just 21, the midfielder may be the Blues’ best player in years to come, or even now. All the inquiries into his future in the starting XI have effectively been put to rest—rightfully so.

Now that the team is trending toward a clean bill of health, the full arsenal will once again be available for Lampard and co. There are many questions still to be answered and many spots up for grabs; only time will reveal the solutions. That being said, each individual has made a convincing argument as to why it should be them. The players deserve a bit of credit, but all of this speaks to the excellent job their third-year manager has done.

What do you think Chelsea’s best starting XI is? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!