A chain of fast-paced events this week has led to Frank Lampard’s return to Chelsea.
The Stamford Bridge legend will take the reins for the rest of the season following the sacking of Graham Potter last weekend, as the search continues for a more permanent successor.
Chelsea fans will be delighted to see Lampard back in the dugout with an assignment to improve their low league position of 11th and get them past Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Some players who are still at Chelsea from Lampard’s time as manager will also be happy to see him back on Cobham’s training ground, others less so.
We take a look at some of the potential winners and losers in the Chelsea squad as Lampard takes sides again.
Frank Lampard will be back in Chelsea’s dugout until the end of the season
The Blues are in dire need of a lift amid disappointing form that leaves them 11th in the table
WINNERS
Mason mountain
Just as Mason Mount’s days at Chelsea seemed numbered and he was dropped from the side, the one coach above all others who appreciates him returns.
Lampard made the England international the center of his midfield last time, having worked with him at Derby and with a transfer embargo preventing new signings.
It proved to be an excellent springboard into first-team football at Stamford Bridge for Mount and soon he was also a regular for Gareth Southgate.
Potter had recently relegated Mount to the bench, with a public bone injury not helping his cause, and there was speculation he could leave Chelsea in the summer, with Liverpool linked.
While Lampard may not be able to persuade the club to keep him, at least Mount has a better chance of getting the playing time needed to remind everyone of his quality.
Lampard gave Mason Mount his breakthrough at Chelsea and the midfielder could now return
Ben Chillwell
Potter had switched to a 3-4-3 form for what turned out to be the final games of his tenure, but Lampard always preferred 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 as Chelsea boss.
That means Ben Chilwell, who played left-back, could fall back to a more orthodox left-back in the four-man defence.
Lampard is likely to favor Chilwell, a player he acquired from Leicester for £45 million in the summer of 2020, over Marc Cucurella in that role.
Chilwell played regularly under Lampard for half of the season before being sacked and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, so the coach’s return should strengthen his grip on the position now over Cucurella, who knew Potter well from Brighton.
Ben Chilwell’s position on the left side of the defense is likely to be strengthened now
Edward Mendy
One person who will be delighted to see Lampard back is Mendy, who has been a resolute second choice to Kepa Arrizabalaga this season – something not helped by setbacks from injuries.
Lampard grew frustrated with Kepa’s mistakes and dropped him. Initially this was for Willy Caballero in January 2020 before he briefly got his spot back.
But Lampard went out on purpose and bought a new keeper in Mendy that summer and when Kepa went straight to Liverpool’s Sadio Mane to give away a goal early in the 2020/21 season, there was no going back until Tuchel came in.
Mendy is not long back from his shoulder injury, but it will be interesting to see if Lampard’s distaste for Kepa has held up and the pair switch back in Chelsea’s pecking order.
Edouard Mendy was brought in by Lampard last time and could replace Kepa again
Hakim Ziyech
It has been a very quiet season for the Moroccan, who has started just nine games and was involved in only one goal.
Potter completely relegated him to the bench and from the squad for the last three Premier League matches, although he did play in the first leg against Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea aren’t exactly short of attacking players and Potter’s systems didn’t automatically favor fast and tricky wingers.
But Lampard wants and let’s not forget that he was the coach who took him over from Ajax for 36 million pounds.
Although Lampard is only temporarily back, everyone in the squad now gets a sort of clean sheet and Ziyech will have an advantage as his abilities are already well known to the coach.
Hakim Ziyech may get a new life if Lampard opts for fast and skilled wingers
Christian Pulisic
The same could be true for Pulisic, who is also struggling to make much of an impact in an injury-riddled season.
Potter used him more often than Ziyech in recent matches, but the American had hardly any influence on matches.
It was under Lampard in 2019-20 that Pulisic enjoyed some of his best form, scoring 11 goals and 10 assists, scoring in the FA Cup final and being shortlisted for the Premier League Young Player of the Year award.
With Chelsea desperately in need of some inspiration early on, Lampard could provide Pulisic with a few more chances.
Christian Pulisic is another player in the Chelsea squad who is hoping for a chance after injury
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
It could hardly be worse for the striker, who was completely eliminated by Potter.
Aubameyang has not featured since coming off the bench late in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur and set to be sent off from Stamford Bridge in the summer.
He had vexed the club by celebrating with his old Barcelona teammates after they recently beat Real Madrid in LaLiga and he was dropped from the Champions League squad to make way for January’s arrival.
But Chelsea desperately need a goalscorer and Aubameyang is a rare striker in their squad. He cannot play against Real Madrid, but Lampard will certainly reintegrate him for some league matches.
Lampard actually wanted to sign Aubameyang when he was previously in charge, but was turned down by the Chelsea board.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is sure to welcome Lampard after his recent trials and tribulations
Conor Gallagher/Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Lampard favored homegrown players from the Chelsea academy the first time around, with the likes of Mount, Tammy Abraham and Reece James taking advantage.
Admittedly his hand was a bit forced due to the transfer embargo in his first summer, but Lampard’s willingness to trust Cobham graduates could benefit Gallagher and Loftus-Cheek.
Loftus-Cheek, who missed much of Lampard’s first period with a serious Achilles tendon injury, has frankly started quite a few league games this season.
Gallagher was used more often from the bench by Potter, but that could now change.
LOSERS
Marc Cucurella
As mentioned in the Chilwell entry, Cucurella could find his playing time being squeezed or pushed out of the left-back position.
While Potter also played Chilwell on the left, he had assigned the Spaniard a role in the three central defenders.
But if Lampard sticks to his normal lineup, only two instead of three slots will be available and Cucurella will understandably be the one to drop out.
Marc Cucurella (right) can see a move to a back four, losing his starting spot
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Probably the least happy to see Lampard walk through the door again.
Kepa was unceremoniously dropped from Chelsea last time after Lampard grew tired of his costly mistakes and Mendy was signed to replace him as the number 1.
Now re-established as the first choice, Kepa will only have to hope that Lampard isn’t so ruthless with him this time around.
It helps his case that Mendy has only just returned from a shoulder injury, although the Senegal international was Tuchel’s first choice at the start of the season and Lampard can agree.
Kepa Arrizabalaga was not face to face with Lampard last time and will now start to worry
Joao Felix
It’s not immediately clear where Joao Felix on loan fits into a favored Lampard line-up.
If he brings Mount back to the squad, Felix can’t play a playmaker role and if the emphasis is on flying wingers he won’t be wide off either.
He may still be able to use the Portuguese star up front if Aubameyang doesn’t come back, but you feel the options have diminished for him.
It is not immediately clear where Joao Felix fits into Lampard’s squad or formation
Kalidou Koulibaly
Every member of the squad will now be scrutinized again and although Kalidou Koulibaly plays every game, he is prone to mistakes.
Sloppy defending has cost Chelsea dearly in so many games and it will be a top priority for Lampard to fix it.
He doesn’t have much of a trick for defenders who don’t try their best and dropped Antonio Rüdiger last time he was at Stamford Bridge.
Thiago Silva should be available again soon, so the pressure on Koulibaly – and everyone else – will only increase.
Kalidou Koulibaly will be scrutinizing his performance under the new manager