Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be confirmed as Chelsea 's new head coach this week - and the highly-rated Argentine has plenty to get stuck into once he officially takes charge in the summer.
The Blues have endured a horrific Premier League campaign and are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table. Chelsea were viewed as potential title contenders last summer, but the decision to part company with Thomas Tuchel back in September set the tone for the following months.
Co-owner Todd Boehly lured Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge as Tuchel's replacement but the former Brighton chief lasted just six months before he was sacked in April.
Chelsea then turned to club legend Frank Lampard - the man who Tuchel initially replaced back in 2021. Lampard accepted the job on an interim basis and is set to stand aside at the end of the season before Pochettino officially takes the reins.
Pochettino is expected in London this week to put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal, and the Mail claims the former Tottenham manager is also planning to hold talks with Lampard to assess the current playing squad before the end of the campaign.
Chelsea's bloated squad currently consists of 31 first-team players - an issue Pochettino will have to resolve ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
A face-to-face meeting will allow Lampard to give his verdict on the Blues' current crop of players before Pochettino decides on who will be sold in the transfer window. However, the Blues caretaker boss has already briefed Pochettino on one of the biggest issues he has encountered since stepping in at Stamford Bridge: the squad's fitness levels.
Join the debate! Do you think Pochettino is the right man for Chelsea? Let us know here.
Speaking prior to Chelsea's Champions League meeting with Real Madrid last month, Lampard said: “At the minute, it has been mostly conversations and meetings than training pitch stuff. Training pitch stuff was all pretty walkthrough and low level because of the [tiredness] in the legs.
“It is more about speaking to the players individually. When we do get the chance to work, I think the team needs some physical work. I think that’s important for us because at this level you have to be right on the limit and we are not on the limit right now.
“I think that can be a capacity thing with the players for whatever reason. It doesn’t matter how we got there but it needs to be addressed now.”
Pochettino's teams at Tottenham and Southampton were both renowned for their energy levels and playing an aggressive high-press. Given that Pochettino will want his new team to adopt that same approach, Lampard's comments on Chelsea's current fitness level will give the Blues' incoming head coach plenty of food for thought.
