Frank Lampard: having five centre-backs in the squad 'not necessarily easy to manage

Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen and Fikayo Tomori are all competing for two centre-back positions at Chelsea.

Lampard is very aware of the fact that his man-management will be the key to the Blues' success this term.

"I’m very conscious of it because to win anything you need to have a tight-knit squad," he added. 'We do have a big squad, we have five centre-backs and it’s not necessarily easy to manage. I say that in a genuine way," Frank Lampard told the pre-Burnley presser, as quoted by Goal.

"We probably have to upset to some degree three of them every game in the way they are not starting depending on circumstances. I respect the players and feelings and I am sure that they expect and want to start and have a really good case to start.

"I have to make sure the feel of the squad is good and the spirit is good. At the minute it feels really good. So the example of Toni coming in and training well over the past couple of weeks and coming in and performing with a level of concentration and control and the way he played is a fantastic example for any player that does not play so much."

As Lampard pointed out, at least three out of Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen or Fikayo Tomori are set to miss out on the Blues' clash with the Clarets on Saturday.

Silva is likely to return to the starting XI at Turf Moor after sitting out the 4-0 win at Krasnodar in the Champions League in midweek.

SOURCE: TRIBUNA.COM