Frank Lampard's Chelsea return appears to have gone down well with the Blues squad if the photos from his first training session back at Cobham are anything to go by.
The former Blues boss, who saw his first spell in charge end in 2021, has returned to West London after being dismissed by Everton. He has taken caretaker charge for the remainder of the season after Graham Potter's sacking, though the ex-England midfielder has hinted he could yet take up the role in a longer-term capacity.
"I am not getting ahead of myself in my role," the new caretaker told the media after his appointment. "I want to do the best I can to impact the club in this period and we will see what happens afterwards."
Lampard will take charge of his first game this weekend, against struggling Wolves, before facing a Real Madrid side managed by former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti in the Champions League.
A number of players will be hopeful their fortunes can change under the new man, and Mirror Football has picked out some of the more interesting sub-plots ahead of Saturday's action.
1. Lampard's Mudryk chat
Frank Lampard tried to bring Mykhaylo Mudryk to Everton during his time in charge at Goodison Park, and now has an opportunity to work with the Ukrainian. Mudryk has struggled since his January move from Shakhtar Donetsk, and faces plenty of competition for a starting spot.
"We received an offer of €30m (£26m)," Shakhtar's sporting Darijo Srna told CBS Sports in September," seemingly referring to the Toffees' approach. "And when our president doesn’t sell a player for €30m, especially in such difficult times, he is sending a message to everyone that he wants to progress in the Champions League and to win the championship.
Chelsea's caretaker boss no doubt had big plans for Mudryk on Merseyside were he not thwarted. The pair were seen deep in conversation in training, and Lampard will hope he can bring out the winger's Shakhtar form rather than the meek displays we have seen in Chelsea blue. All eyes will be at Molineux on Saturday to see if Lampard's rallying cry pays off.
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2. Forwards all smiles
Another man previously courted by Lampard is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabonese frontman was a target for Chelsea back in 2020, only for the Blues to instead move for the since-departed Timo Werner.
While the former Arsenal man will play no part in Europe, having been dropped from the Champions League squad, he could be given a chance for redemption in the league. Meanwhile, a different kind of redemption could come the way of another summer signing Raheem Sterling.
England forward Sterling has struggled for goals in an injury-interrupted season, but did deliver a crucial strike against Borussia Dortmund in Europe. The frontman returned after a month out to play the final few minutes in midweek, and was all smiles as he prepared for potentially longer run-out on Saturday.
3. Hope for Pulisic
Christian Pulisic made his Chelsea debut under Lampard in 2019, but found minutes harder to come by under both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter. With Potter at the helm, his days looked numbered, but the change in the dugout could offer fresh hope.
"I wanted him to have it because I felt like he deserved it and he wanted it," Lampard previously told NBC's Inside the Mind when explaining his decision to hand Pulisic the number 10 shirt. "He came last year and Willian was almost the man in waiting at the club to take the No.10 shirt and I think it was right he took it with his experience.
"When it became open I think what Christian delivered in his first year more than warranted that he gets the shirt and what it means. I know it means a lot, and there will be a few in that line to try and have that shirt. But I was keen for him to have it and very pleased to actually make the call."
4. Kante continues comeback
One of the most welcome sights in the midweek draw with Liverpool was N'Golo Kante's involvement. The French international has missed most of the season with hamstring issues, sitting out the World Cup as a result, and played just 33 minutes under Potter.
Kante captained Chelsea on Tuesday and came through 69 minutes unscathed. He was right back out on the training ground in preparation for the Wolves game, where he will be looking to continue playing himself into form.
While Champions League qualification through the league is a near impossibility, the Blues are still alive in this year's competition. The former Leicester man was involved as the London side came close to a remarkable comeback at Real Madrid last season, and now has a chance for revenge.
5. Mount nearing return
Mason Mount's absence has been a shorter-term one, but the England star could prove equally important in the coming weeks. The 24-year-old made his Chelsea debut under Lampard after starring under his compatriot during a loan spell at Derby, and remained important to both Tuchel and Potter.
Mount hasn't featured since the end of February, when he came off the bench in a defeat at Tottenham which spelled the beginning of the end for Potter. He missed the March internationals through injury, but has returned to training and was an unused substitute against Liverpool.
It hasn't been the best of seasons for the academy graduate, who has just three club goals all season and none since the turn of the year. He is one of many who will want to rediscover the form he showed during Lampard's first stint in charge of the club.
6. Gallagher's point to prove
Another product of Chelsea's academy, Gallagher was sent out on loan by Lampard in both of the manager's two summers in charge. Those moves served him well, though, with a Charlton switch bringing a senior debut and West Brom giving the midfielder his first taste of Premier League football.
After yet another loan exit last term, the England international has been part of Chelsea's first-team set-up this season. However, with his starting spot anything but secure, Liverpool have been linked with a summer swoop.
The remaining weeks of the season offer Gallagher a chance to show how much he benefited from those loan spells. It could be a win-win for Lampard, too, who watched the starlet in training while knowing Gallagher's path to the top started with his own decision to let the youngster spread his wings.
