Kai Havertz Absence Vs Brentford Explained As Lampard Confirms Expected Injury Return Date
Chelsea will be without Kai Havertz for their Premier League encounter against Brentford on Wednesday due to injury.
The 23-year-old has been suffering from a knee injury and won’t be in contention to face the Bees at Stamford Bridge, caretaker boss Frank Lampard confirmed in his pre-match press conference.
“Kai still struggling a little bit with his knee, won’t be available for tomorrow (Wednesday).”
Havertz was the subject of a strong foul from Eder Militao in the first half of Chelsea’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid last Wednesday which saw the Blues exit at the quarter-final stage.
He was on a roll heading into April after three goals in four during the month of March, but Chelsea have struggled to find the net since and it has seen them not win since March 11 and lose their last four games in all competitions.
Both Reece James and Mason Mount have been ruled out for the rest of the season so will also be sidelined for Wednesday’s London derby against the Bees.
However, for Lampard and Chelsea, there is better news in regards to Havertz’s return after the Chelsea caretaker boss confirmed the return timeline for the Germany international ahead of their trip across the capital to face Arsenal at the Emirates next week.
Lampard added: “The good news is he should be training at the end of the week.”
Havertz’s absence could see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang handed a rare start in the capital, with opportunities set to be handed out to players should they be deserving off it.
“If they deserve it, for sure,” explained Lampard on whether or not the fringe players would get a chance to impress in the final seven games of the Premier League season. “There are two things. There’s the individual work, showing you deserve it. I’m fully for that.
“During my first period at the club, I came in with a transfer ban and losing big players and everyone said ‘Of course, the young players get in the team’. They got in the team because they deserved it with how they trained. That’s a culture and a way you have to have at a top football club. I don’t think changes just for the moment, I think it should always be there.
“Players have to train, those seven games and days of training are all opportunities every day to try and show you deserve to be in the team. As I think I’ve probably shown as a coach, if you do that, you’ll always get an opportunity with me.”
