Chelsea manager Frank Lampard (right) with attacker Willian after their winning match against already-relegated Norwich City in the Premier League in London on Tuesday.PHOTO: reuters
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard could field a weakened team against Arsenal in the FA Cup final due to a conflict of interest with Willian.
The Blues secured their spot in the showpiece occasion after defeating Man Utd 3-1 at the semi-final stage.
The result compounded Chelsea’s stellar first season under Lampard, with Champions League qualification also recently secured.
One of the constants in Lampard’s team this year has been Brazilian winger Willian.
The 31-year-old has appeared in 47 matches across all competitions, and notched four goals and two assists in the league since the restart.
However, with his impending free agent status, his spell at Stamford Bridge could soon be coming to an end.
One club who have registered interest in signing the 31-year-old is Chelsea’s FA Cup final opponent Arsenal.
And it is this conflict of interest that has caused Lampard to pause for thought.
The Metro (citing The Sun) report that Lampard fears the ‘imminent move’ could ‘impact the player’s performance’.
Willian is therefore speculated to be a possible casualty of Lampard’s team selection, meaning his potential final game for the club may have to come from the bench.
Fellow forwards Olivier Giroud and Christian Pulisic have been in fine form respectively. But the absence of Willian could potentially blunt The Blues’ attack given his fine form since the restart.
