Lampard admits it has been ‘difficult’ to integrate Ziyech at Chelsea

Frank Lampard has admitted that integrating Hakim Ziyech at Chelsea has been tricky because of the player’s recent injury.

Ziyech had to wait for his competitive debut for the Blues because of a knee injury he picked up during a pre-season friendly against Brighton.

The Moroccan recently returned to action but has admitted he is still not fully fit.

Restrictions resulting from the coronavirus pandemic have made it tougher for him to improve his sharpness.

Youngsters and the first-team squad are currently being kept apart in order to limit numbers around Chelsea’s Cobham training base, meaning practice matches have not been possible.

Boss Lampard explained: “It (integrating Ziyech) has been very difficult because we have a bubble here at Cobham.

“We cannot play against the Under-23s or bring over the kids to replicate 11 v 11 games on big-sized pitches, which is generally where you’d want someone to be working when they’ve not played for five or six months.

“We just have to do the best we can, train as well as we can, find the right way to give Hakim minutes – and others in the squad, because a few of our new signings did come in with certain issues – and try and get that as quickly as we can. That has been challenging.”

Ziyech is in the squad for Saturday’s game at Manchester United but keeper Kepa Arrizabalga is nursing a shoulder problem and did not travel.