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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Samuel Meade

Chelsea news: Frank Lampard finally gets Mykhaylo Mudryk wish as squad silence broken

Frank Lampard is back at Chelsea and readying for the first game of his second stint against Wolves.

A lot can change in a week and the Blues have managed to sack Graham Potter and re-appoint Lampard until the end of the season in the space of four days. The club legend will now be hoping to reinvigorate a playing group that have struggled for consistency this term.

It will need a sensational run if Chelsea are to salvage anything from their league campaign as they currently sit in the bottom half. A heavyweight clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League lies in wait for Lampard, who has a star-studded squad from which he needs to get the best from.

Here are the current talking points surrounding Lampard's return.

Lamps gets Mudryk chance

Lampard tried to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk last summer when he was in charge at Everton, only to see the club's offer rejected.

The 44-year-old was sacked as Everton boss three months ago, but is now back in management with Chelsea on a caretaker basis. He inherits the Ukrainian winger, who snubbed Arsenal's interest and moved to Stamford Bridge in January. He's been unable to build on his debut cameo against Liverpool however.

In Potter's final weeks Mudryk wasn't even featuring, but Lampard will now get the chance to team up with a man he wanted at Goodison Park. The Toffees submitted a €30million (£26m) offer, but it was rebuffed by Shakhtar Donetsk, who eventually got near to £90m for the winger.

Read more here.

Frank Lampard wanted to sign the winger in the summer (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

Dressing room silence broken on return

Mateo Kovacic admits it is "good news" to have Lampard back at Chelsea having reunited with his former boss.

Kovacic worked under the 44-year-old for a season-and-a-half and was a regular during that period and is ready to finish the season strongly under his leadership. The Croatian however did confess that the players need to take responsibility for Potter's sacking, who he felt was given a difficult task due to the amount of ins at the club.

He told Sky Sports on Lampard's return: "We know him, he was our coach so it's good news that he's back and trying to change our season because it's not been good, we have to be honest. In the end, it's easier to sack a coach than 30 players, but it is on us, we need to do better and we have to thank Potter who did a good job, but it is not easy with so many changes so it was a tough situation for him.

Read more here.

Mateo Kovacic is pleased to have his former boss back (Getty Images)

Sterling defended despite questioning Lampard previously

Raheem Sterling will be one of the players whom Lampard needs to get the best out of. The forward has not been able to bring his Manchester City form to Chelsea following his summer move, scoring just seven times.

The Englishman has received huge plaudits for how he's combated racism - on and off the pitch - and previously questioned why the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have been given managerial chances whilst Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole have struggled.

Lampard however has defended Sterling: No. I don’t know Raheem that well. I played with him in England squads. In the period gone I’ve come across him a few times. I think he’s a young lad as we want out young men and women in the game to speak openly and honestly, and he’s not just spoken that one Newsnight interview you pulled out from two years ago."

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