Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has assured attacker Christian Pulisic that he is an important member of the club’s squad. The American arrived at Stamford Bridge during the January transfer window from Borussia Dortmund. He was loaned back to the Bundesliga club for the second half of last season before joining the Blues permanently during the summer.
“I get asked weekly ‘why is he not in the squad?’ and ‘why is he on the bench?’ when it comes to certain players” Lampard said as quoted by The Sun.
“We need all of the players. You need the contribution of Michy coming on and getting his goal. He’s been training really well.
“Christian coming on with a great assist for the goal. Those players, absolutely we need them as the games come thick and fast.
“At the moment we are going well and keeping a similar core of the team. But we are going to need everyone and that means training at a level and being happy as a complete group when we come away and get a result like this.”
The American was expected to shine for the West London club following the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid last summer. He has however so far been underwhelming and fallen out of favor during recent games. Some reports have even suggested that he will soon start looking for another club if the situation does not improve.
The likes of Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham have so far overshadowed Pulisic in terms of success. There were also lesser expectations on the young English trio as they were untested at the highest level. Pulisic arrived as one of the brightest young talents and had established himself as a quality player in the Bundesliga prior to his arrival at Chelsea.
It is easy to see why Pulisic may be getting de-motivated
The thought of players who are his age and younger (Tomori, Abraham and Mount) succeeding will especially concern the youngster. He may also feel that he has the quality but is being overlooked for other reasons beyond his control (such is often the case with young players).
Pulisic and Lampard need to have serious talks to keep everyone happy and above board. If the situation does not improve between now and the end of the season, then a parting of ways can be considered if it is the best thing for all parties involved.
Even though Pulisic is getting a lack of game time at club level, it will be unlikely to harm his continued selection for the United States team. He is by far the best player that the Stars and Stripes currently possess.
