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Chelsea's fringe players to be given a clean slate by new boss Lampard

Chelsea's fringe players to be given a clean slate by new boss Lampard
© Reuters
Academy players and fringe players under previous boss Maurizio Sarri will be give a chance to impress Lampard.

New Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard insists he will give the likes of Danny Drinkwater a chance to resurrect their Stamford Bridge careers.

Lampard returned to Chelsea on Thursday as he signed a three-year deal to replace Maurizio Sarri at the helm.

The former England international enjoyed a 13-year stint in west London, lifting 11 major honours and becoming Chelsea's all-time record goalscorer.

He has now been brought back in after just one season as Derby manager, where he guided them to the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.

Lampard will be working under a transfer ban for the first two windows of his tenure and is expected to use Chelsea's academy products more than other recent Blues bosses.

He has also hinted he may turn to players like Drinkwater, who did not play a minute of football last season other than as a second-half substitute in the Community Shield, and give them a clean slate.

Danny Drinkwater failed to make a Premier League appearance last season
Danny Drinkwater failed to make a Premier League appearance last season (Adam Davy/PA)

"Everybody who joins up tomorrow, and it will be staggered, will have the opportunity to show what they can do, their attitude, the way they play and train in pre-season onwards," Lampard said when asked if someone like Drinkwater would get a chance to impress.

"I would be a fool to come here with ideas about 'I'm going to freeze anybody out'. I want to get the best out of the squad.

"Everybody has an opportunity. I have no pre-conceived ideas about anybody, I have got good knowledge of the squad but I need to see them over the next month."

Lampard's first game in charge is a friendly clash with Bohemians in Dublin on Wednesday, while his first competitive fixture at the helm is a trip to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

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Callum Hudson-Odoi in action for Chelsea against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League on March 14, 2019.
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