Lampard set to be rested for Prague clash
CHELSEA midfielder Frank Lampard must wait to break the club’s all-time goalscoring record, after manager Rafael Benitez revealed the England international will miss tonight’s Europa League match against Sparta Prague.
Lampard is in a rich vein of form with four goals in his last five games and is now just three strikes short of matching Bobby Tambling’s 202 goals for the Blues.
But Benitez will rest his 34-year-old star for tonight’s last 32, second leg clash at Stamford Bridge and will rotate his squad with a crucial trip to second-placed Manchester City to come in the Premier League on Sunday.
“Frank will not be in the squad as we have to manage the group and think about all the other games,” Benitez confirmed.
“We’ve played so many games – 25 in three months.
“To play every game because we didn’t have the options is a problem, but at least now we have fresh legs.”
Chelsea hold a one-goal lead from the first leg after midfielder Oscar netted in the Czech capital.
Defender Branislav Ivanovic will be rested tonight and striker Demba Ba is ineligible.