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Frank Lampard has spoken highly of one Chelsea player ahead of their match against Manchester United on Thursday.
The Blues travel to Old Trafford to take on the Red Devils in the Premier League, with the two clubs having had very different seasons.
The hosts can secure a Champions League place with a point from the match, while the visitors have struggled in recent times and currently sit 12th in the table.
Lampard full of praise for Sterling
Chelsea’s struggles have come under three different managers this season, with Lampard following Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
He looks set to stay in the role until the end of the campaign, but will more than likely move on once the season is finished.
Things just haven’t clicked whatsoever for the West London outfit this season, with their huge squad not gelling on the pitch, resulting in many of their individual stars failing to hit the heights expected of them.
One player that could be placed into that category is Raheem Sterling, with the attacker nowhere near his best in recent times. Many Chelsea fans have noticed that, and while manager Lampard has stuck by him, England boss Gareth Southgate has not.
The former Liverpool and Manchester City winger has been omitted from the most recent Three Lions squad, which was announced by Southgate on Wednesday.
England take on Malta and North Macedonia in their Euro 2024 qualifying group next month, with Sterling left out of the squad after holding talks with Southgate.
“I don’t know the exact details of the conversations between Raheem and Gareth,” said Lampard, as quoted by the official Chelsea website. “All I do know is that Raheem is a top-level player who has played for England for a lot of time.
“From my personal memories of playing for England for years, I know that sometimes these games at the end of the season are different challenges for individuals who have played a lot of games and a lot of minutes, so if there is a mutual conversation between the two of them then I am sure they will find the right outcome – the best for England and the best for Raheem.”
Lampard calls on Chelsea players to step up
It really has been a miserable campaign for the Blues, who go into the game having lost 1-0 to champions Man City on Sunday.
Man United meanwhile defeated Bournemouth by the same scoreline a day earlier, giving themselves a very good chance of clinching that prestigious Champions League spot.
Lampard has now called on his players to step up to the plate for what will no doubt be another difficult clash for Chelsea.
“It is a similar situation to approaching playing Manchester City, albeit they had won the league the night before,” added Lampard.
“They [Man United] are a high-level team so it is the same point from where I approached going into the City game, and how the players approach it more importantly.
“People think we have not got much on the game and the players have to show them there is, in terms of their personal and collective approach to it.
“We will have to go there with a good mentality as they are fighting for something we have fought for for many years, and now we are not in that position, so players need to show.”
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