Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea lurched to another disaster on Wednesday night as the Blues slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
A Cesar Azpilicueta own goal was followed by a Bryan Mbeumo strike just over ten minutes from the end to condemn the West London side to their 13th league defeat of the campaign. That leaves them in 11th in the table and any form of European football next season now appears to be impossible.
The loss also leaves interim boss Lampard in a hugely difficult position after five losses in as many games since he returned to Stamford Bridge.
With that being said, read the best of the headlines coming out of Chelsea over the past 24 hours.
Lampard sends Boehly message
One telling decision from the Chelsea boss during Wednesday evening’s miserable showdown with Brentford was to leave a number of the Blues’ lucrative signings out of the team.
Against the Bees, £88m signing Mykhaylo Mudryk, joined fellow January recruits Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke and Joao Felix on the bench. That signifies an outlay of more than £150m from Todd Boehly on talents the current boss deems only good enough to be named as substitutes.
In fact, of their acquisitions in the most recent window, only record signing Enzo Fernandez was named in the XI, with Lampard opting for a more experienced lineup.
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Blues launch Inter Milan swap idea
Speaking of transfers, Chelsea will reportedly speak to Italian giants Inter over the possibility of a goalkeeper swap deal while discussing the future of Romelu Lukaku.
The Blues are set to hold discussions with the Serie A outfit regarding the future of the Belgian striker, who has been at the San Siro on a season-long loan. A swap is also on the agenda with Chelsea thought to be prioritising a move for Andre Onana, and are willing to offer Inter the choice of either Kepa Arrizabalaga or Edouard Mendy in exchange.
Mount gives injury update
Mason Mount has told fans he "can't wait to get back to training" despite the Chelsea midfielder having been ruled out for the rest of the season.
He has recently been struggling with a pelvic issue and was forced to undergo surgery. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "Had a minor procedure yesterday to sort out a discomfort I had for a while.
"Everything went well and I’m feeling good. Time to rest but can’t wait to get back to training in the coming weeks! Thanks for all your messages of support and a massive thank you to the medical team, doctors and nurses for looking after me."
