Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has said that Tammy Abraham provides more than just goals for the west London giants. The England international has had a tremendous breakthrough season under the guidance of Frank Lampard, and he has already notched 12 goals and four assists across all competitions.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said that the Blues will lose their big-club status, should the fans start accepting defeats. The west London giants have made an average beginning to the season under new manager Frank Lampard and they are currently 11th on the table with just eight points on the board.

The director of Onet Sport Michal Pol has indicated that there is no truth to the speculation linking Krzysztof Piatek with a move to Chelsea in January. The Blues are presently banned from signing new players until the summer of 2020 but the embargo could be reduced by six months, if they are able to win their appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Speaking to Milan News, Pol said that he is aware of the speculation in the media and can confirm that the Blues have made no contact with AC Milan for the Poland international, he told the outlet: “I know the situation well, I checked. It was just a game between journalists who wondered who they would have bought if the Chelsea market ban had been removed in January. It is as if someone in Milan had asked a colleague who he wanted to buy at Milan and was told ‘Milik’. But Milik is not coming to Milan; there is nothing true in this rumour as there’s nothing true in Piatek at Chelsea.”

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said that midfielder N’Golo Kante has the freedom to make the difference higher up the field. The France international played in an advanced midfield position under the guidance of former boss Maurizio Sarri last term and there were suggestions that he was not pleased to shift away from the defensive midfield duties.

Since then, it had been anticipated that the midfielder would return to the holding role under Lampard but that has not been the case with the Frenchman continuing to have the license to roam forward. Speaking to Chelseafc.com, Lampard said that the midfielder are not restricted to their separate roles and someone like Kante has the luxury of making things happen higher up the field.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has said that he is hopeful over the return of N’Golo Kante before the Premier League opener against Manchester United next month. The France international has been struggling with a knee injury since the closing stages of the previous campaign and he has yet to completely recover from the setback.

Speaking to reporters, Lampard acknowledged that the midfielder has yet to overcome the knee concern and that was the reason behind his early return to Cobham from the club’s pre-season tour. He added that the Frenchman could return to training by the end of the weekend and hopefully, he can make the team when the campaign begins at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have confirmed that midfielder Mario Pasalic has penned a fresh three-year deal with the club before joining Atalanta BC on loan for the second-straight season. The Croatian helped Atalanta reach the Champions League for the first time last term and he has now been offered with the chance to earn more gametime with the Serie A outfit.

“Mario Pasalic has signed a new contract at Chelsea until 2022 and will now return to Atalanta on loan for a second season. The 24-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge in 2014 from Hajduk Split and has represented Croatia 10 times at senior level, most recently in his country’s 2-1 European Championship qualifying win over Wales and a friendly defeat to Tunisia. Last season he helped Atalanta come third in Serie A, their highest league finish ever. They were also runners-up in the Coppa Italia,” a statement on the club’s website read.