Frank Lampard has revealed that Chelsea duo Reece James and Mason Mount will ‘probably’ miss the rest of the season, in a brutal blow for the Blues. Right-back James has been struggling with a knee problem and a hamstring injury, while Mount has been suffering from a bruised pelvis. This could mean that Mount may have played his last game for Chelsea, as he is linked to a summer move with interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United amid his ongoing contract dispute. Lampard said on Tuesday ahead of the clash against Brentford at Stamford Bridge: ‘Reece James unavailable, probably for the season. Mason Mount probably the same. Potential for the last game but probably not. Kai (Havertz) won’t be available tomorrow.’
The absence of Mount and James is just the latest bad news for Chelsea, who have endured a horrific season and are 11th in the Premier League table. Lampard came in for his second stint as head coach following the sacking of Graham Potter but has lost all of his four games in charge so far. The west London club have spent over £600m on players since the summer after Todd Boehly replaced previous owner Roman Abramovich, and they are now under huge Financial Fair Play pressure which may force them to offload a number of academy graduates in order to maximise profits.