Real Madrid vs Chelsea press conference: Lampard updates on Kante, Mount and Thiago Silva chances of facing Real Madrid
11 APR 2023
Ahead of the first leg of our Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, Frank Lampard confirmed that N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Thiago Silva are all in contention to play.
Frank Lampard was back in the Chelsea dug-out for the first time since returning to the club as caretaker manager when we took on Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, but has embarked on a much longer away trip in midweek as we continue our Champions League campaign.
Tomorrow night we take on reigning champions Real Madrid in the Spanish capital in the first leg of our quarter-final, and Lampard was pleased to confirm he will have close to a full squad at his disposal at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Being asked specifically about Thiago Silva, Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante, Lampard confirmed all three could be involved in Madrid.
'They’re all fit, they’re all in the squad. They are good and they’re here.'
Lampard also expanded on Kante's return and why he believes the Frenchman can perform at a high level straight away.
'I think N’Golo’s a special player. I know the difficulties N’Golo’s had recently with injuries but in terms of coming back at a really high level, I witnessed him do that.
'He did in the Super Cup against Liverpool a few years ago. He passed a fitness test, hadn’t played for a long time and he was the best player on the pitch for 120 minutes. He has the capacity to do that because he’s a special player.
'When we miss him as a club we miss him because of how good he is so it’s a positive that he’s back for sure.'
Lampard was asked whether Chelsea's troubles this season have been in part down to a lack of experienced leaders within the squad or a lack of character in the team, but especially refuted the second suggestion.
'I think you can only become a leader in action, there’s no point in calling someone a leader until they’ve shown why and done it on the pitch. We have a lot of players who have a lot of titles, so we can’t completely call ourselves young, because if you go through the squad I can see a lot of titles.
'Also in terms of natural leaders, I think modern leaders have changed in the game in the dressing room. I don’t think we can look 10 or 15 years back and try to replicate what the leaders in a squad were then. For sure Chelsea brought in some younger players over the course of this season, we had to give them a chance at developing into the leaders we want them to be. Enzo is becoming a leader, but he’s 22 years of age, I think it’s quite difficult for us to talk about that, he’ll have to find his way.
'Games like tomorrow are a great chance to perform and show the personality that makes you a proper leader.
'It’s normal in a season when a club like us falls below the levels we want the character gets questioned. It’s one of the first things probably to get questioned in times of defeat. The only thing the players can do is prove it on the pitch where people can see it.
'There’s a lot of work that we do behind the scenes on the training and around the dressing room talking to the players. My job is to convey to them the need to train at a certain level, to have a mentality at a certain level, individually and as a group, and the rest is they have to show it on the pitch.
'I’m absolutely not questioning the fact they have a lot of character in the group because I’ve seen the dressing room and I understand football and there is character. But sometimes players can take a hit on confidence and that can look like a lack of character.'
== Real Madrid vs Chelsea injury list ==
Carney Chukwuemeka is missing with the injury that has kept him out of action in our last two matches, while Armando Broja remains out of action as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious injury suffered last year.
Real Madrid are expected to be without left-back Ferland Mendy, who hasn't featured since the middle of last month due to a calf injury, while there are doubts over David Alaba's availability because of a muscle issue.
== Real Madrid vs Chelsea suspension ==
There are no players suspended for this game on either team.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, Reece James, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mykhailo Mudryk and Thiago Silva are all one booking away from suspension, meaning they will miss the second leg if they receive a yellow card in Madrid.
In the Champions League, three yellow cards, as well as following any subsequent odd-numbered caution (fifth, seventh, ninth, etc) will result in a one-match-suspension in the competition. All yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals and are not carried forward to the semi-finals.
== Champions League booking list ==
Enzo 4 (already served a suspension with Benfica), Mount 3 (already served suspension against Dortmund), C. Gallagher 2, R. James 2, Kepa 2, Koulibaly 2, Mudryk 2,
Thiago Silva 2, Chilwell 1, Cucurella 1, Kovacic 1, R. Sterling 1, Ziyech 1
== Real Madrid vs Chelsea referee and VAR ==
Referee: Francois Letexier (France)
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Poland)
This will be Francois Letexier's second Chelsea match in this season's Champions League, having also overseen the 2-1 home win over Dinamo Zagreb in the group stage.
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Lampard: We have to go with belief
12 APR 23
Frank Lampard feels the first leg of Chelsea’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid could come down to which team handles the big occasion best and can stick to their game plan when the pressure is on.
We take on the current Champions League holders in the last eight of the competition, with the first match away in the Spanish capital at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Frank Lampard is well aware of just what a big match awaits his Chelsea side as we prepare to face Real Madrid in front of their fans at one of the famous stadiums in world football, but feels the pressure will be huge for any team at this stage of the Champions League regardless of the venue or the opponent.
‘For our players, some young players that we’ve got in the squad, we’ve got some trophy winners in the squad too, but the Champions League quarter-finals is always going to be a big occasion and we have to play to the occasion, because levels go up at this stage of the competition,’ said Lampard. ‘We have to come here with a belief that we can perform under that pressure.
‘There’s pressure on both teams because of the size of both clubs and I think when you get to this stage, whatever the reason is, there will be pressure. Real Madrid are favourites and I understand why because of the difficulties of our season.
‘There’s no better carrot in football than trying to prove people wrong. Being an underdog and getting the result is one of the best things in football, I’ve been part of that, on both sides. That’s a nice challenge for us, I’m not worried about that in terms of the pressure. Football at this level is pressure.’
This is the third season in a row that we have met Real Madrid in the Champions League, progressing past them in 2020/21 en route to lifting the trophy in Porto, before being eliminated last time around as the Spaniards claimed the title in 2022.
However, Lampard is not paying much attention to what has gone before, knowing the only thing that will decide this tie is what happens on the pitch at the Bernabeu and then at Stamford Bridge in the second leg.
‘Every new year in football brings a new story. The year before last Chelsea came here and were successful in the Champions League in the knock-out stage. Last year was an incredible game that changed in the last moments.
‘One thing I will say having watched Real Madrid and having a relationship with Carlo Ancelotti, who’s been incredible in his time here, the players have to understand this is a special arena and a special football club and anything can happen, some things you can’t control. So we have to control what we can control with what we have now, understand the quality of the players in the Real Madrid team because there’s lots of quality throughout their team.
‘I think we have to understand the strengths of the Real Madrid team, in terms of their qualities in possession and their individual talent. We have to be very disciplined in our game off the ball against Real Madrid. Understand the threats because there are some very clear threats in their team.
‘We have to be defensively good against that but we also have to show our own strengths in our own game and the players will be aware of how we want to approach the game. We have to have belief, we have to follow the idea because in a high-level game the biggest thing can sometimes be the mentality and following through with what the idea is under pressure. At this level we have to be spot on, to take it back to Stamford Bridge next week in front of our home supporters.’
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以下內容出自 football.london：
Every word Frank Lampard said on Real Madrid v Chelsea, injury news and Champions League message
By Scott Trotter, Chelsea writer - UPDATED 13:09, 12 APR 2023
．The Bernabeu is a daunting place but is it somwhere for players to be inspired by?
I think so. I only played here once in my career - England v Spain. We lost 2-0 and I didn’t get a kick. Xavi and Iniesta were in their heyday. I absolutely remember the size of the stadium. So for our players, some young players but also we have players who have achieved a lot – CL winners, WC winners. So I don’t think it’s something completely new to them but ofc this is a stadium and a QF is an occasion and we have to play the occasion because levels go up at this point in the competition. But we have to come here with the belief that we can perform under that pressure.
．Still to a dream to be involved here and at this stage?
Yes, it is amazing. I have been fortunate enough to manage in the Champions League – two seasons - and as a player, it was always a special competition. So to be here as a manager particularly when a week ago today I did not know I would be here is a huge honour for me of course and a big part of my thought process when taking on the challenge here. This is an amazing challenge for me personally as well as for us as a team and a club.
．Can you think back to 2012 and have you spoken to Roberto Di Matteo?
I have not spoken to him. I have exchanged some messages with a few people – obviously, a lot of people are Chelsea-related, Guus Hiddink, ex-managers and people in the game. There are parallels in probably a simple sense, we are ex-players. But the year Robbie was here he was an assistant and had a big awareness of the squad and got the job earlier in the year than I did. He did an amazing job. I remember big parts of why he achieved what he achieved. My situation is different in practice… I think I have to be careful making that parallel. We have very tough games in front of us, starting tomorrow. So there’s a lot of work to be done but we’re very committed to trying to, if we can, create our own little bit of history.
．Can you explain why the team has been better in the Champions League than the Premier League?
I am not sure. I understand the question, if you isolate this year as well. I think there have been challenges this year and the PL is also one of the greatest challenges in world football. It’s tough week in and week out and those challenges have obviously taken us to a place where we don’t want to be as Chelsea Football Club. The Champions League sometimes offers you a bit of escapism from that. Different speed of the game, knockout football, those things can all contribute to getting different success in the same season. I think when you get to this stage of the competition, you’re playing teams of the level of Real… Now those comparisons are pretty worthless.
．Todd Boehly is said to have spoken to James Corden before employing you?
I saw the headline of James Corden. I am not aware if it’s true or not. It’s obviously a great headline to put together casually from the outside. When I look at the success of Todd Boehly and the owners of the club you have to respect that success and respect the idea that they’ll probably make decisions based on more than a conversation with one person.
．Unusual to join a team at this stage of the competition, but do you think you earned it because of where you were in the competition when you left?
I don’t link them. I know the part I played in the last success and it ended when I left the club as far as I was concerned. My part probably more than anything was qualifying for the CL the year before in a tough season, with a young squad… I am just very proud to come back… I know I have managed in this competition before, I know I’ve managed against big teams in this competition before. So I am not daunted at all. In fact, I am more excited than anything.
．Who are you most worried about from Real Madrid?
It’s a difficult question, because once you start naming one, two, three, you ask about fourth. It’s a team with a lot of good individuals. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for the team. My biggest respect for the Real Madrid and the success is for the serial winners — Benzema, Modric, Kroos — a huge amount of admiration for them. To appreciate what it takes at this level to win so regularly, to know what it takes to win so regularly. That’s what it makes them the special players they are. They all have incredible qualities.
Of course, Vinicius Jr as a young player has incredible quality. We have to make the players aware of those threats. In certain areas of the pitch where we know the threats are repetitive. The one-on-one with Vinicius Jr and Benzema at the top end of the pitch. The players have to deal with it.
．What do you make of Toni Rudiger?
On Toni Rudiger, I think he has done fantastically well. When I last saw him as Everton manager and he was with Chelsea and the Madrid move was happening and I wished him well. My relationship with him is fine. A lot of people like to speculate. As a manager of Chelsea, which I was and I am again now, you have 25 or 27 players to choose from and Rudiger played a lot for me. Our story ended and the story continued. He was a big part of the Champions League story. Good luck to him, good luck to any professional who works as hard as he does because he deserves it.
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