WhiStLe-Tips, I Love Soccer - Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to return

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Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to return

Sunday, 20 April 2008

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is set to return to action for Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final clash against Liverpool, while Reds skipper Steven Gerrard may miss out due to a neck problem.

Gerrard-Lampard The England international has pulled out of Chelsea’s recent games to be with his mother Pat, who is seriously ill with pneumonia.

But Lampard will return to the side for the Blues’ trip to Anfield, as will the likes of Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba – important inclusions given that midfielder Michael Essien will miss the first leg through suspension.

And Chelsea boss Avram Grant, while fully understanding of Lampard’s recent absence, insists the return of such key players will provide a huge boost as Chelsea seek to qualify for their first ever Champions League final.

"For me, football is very important but there are things beyond football - family matters," Grant said. "We've missed him, we've missed Ballack, we've missed Didier.

"You saw what happened last year when we missed only two players; imagine what would have happened if we had played without Lampard too."

Gerrard Gamble

Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping Steven Gerrard is fit enough to take the field after sitting out Saturday’s 2-0 win at Fulham with a reported neck injury sustained in training.

Reds boss Rafa Benitez remains wary but light-hearted about his skipper’s status, suggesting the uncertainty surrounding Gerrard’s condition is in fact as cleverly devised as the ingenious fitness test Benitez will use to determine whether the Liverpudlian is able to play.

"I will come up and tap him on the left shoulder and if he turns to face me without any pain we will know he can play," said the former Valencia boss.

"The other day he wanted to play but I would have had to have played him on the left wing as he could only look to the right. With the neck, you never know.

"It is always dangerous but he has been a little bit better. We'll see if he can turn his head round and look the other way now."

No Difference

Liverpool will head into Tuesday’s clash favourites given their excellent home record and their two previous Champions League semi-final triumphs over Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea.

And while Benitez insists Grant has maintained his predecessor’s system, he refuses to claims any psychological advantage and believes this year’s semi-final will be as hard-fought a battle as the their previous encounters.

"No, only in press conferences," Benitez said when asked if there was any difference in Chelsea post-Mourinho. "I think it's more or less the same.

"I watched the game at Everton on Thursday and they were playing more or less the same style. As I've said before, the key to them was [Roman] Abramovich. In the past I think they have built a fantastic team.

"I don't think we'll have a psychological edge. They have enough experience and quality. They were in the final of the Carling Cup, they are in the semi-finals of the Champions League and they are in the race for the title. So they have enough good players to win.

"I have a lot of respect for their manager because he's being correct. He's doing his job. But Anfield is amazing and can still be the key for us. If we can score goals and keep a clean sheet it will be fantastic. If we cannot, we know Stamford Bridge will be really difficult in the second game."

Mike Maguire, Goal.com