Date published: Monday 28th December 2020 10:28
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admits his side are missing the creativity of Hakim Ziyech and has urged Callum Hudson-Odoi to step up in his absence.
Chelsea have won just one of the five league games since Hakim Ziyech limped off with a hamstring injury in the win over on December 5, losing three before drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa on Monday.
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And Lampard says Chelsea are missing the fluency they had when the Moroccan was in full flow.
“I think with Hakim, the way he was playing, he was being very effective for us in terms of assists, goal creation, chance creation and some goals,” Lampard said.
“We were very fluid at the time. You’re going to miss players at that level when they drop out and we want him back.”
But Lampard was complimentary of the performance of Hudson-Odoi, who made a rare start for Chelsea against Villa after impressing as a second-half substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal.
“The obvious next part is end product,” Lampard said, urging Hudson-Odoi to step up in terms of assists and scoring.
“When you look around at the numbers that the top wingers produced in the Premier League in recent years, Callum definitely has the capabilities and that will be the next stage for him.”