Frank Lampard unconcerned by potential interest in Callum Hudson-Odoi while Chelsea have such competition for places

Frank Lampard has insisted he cannot worry about Bayern Munich making yet another move for Callum Hudson-Odoi when he is agnosing over which of his first-team players to leave in the stands.

Chelsea head coach Lampard has praised the attitude of Hudson-Odoi ahead of restoring him to the Chelsea squad for Wednesday night’s Champions League trip to Sevilla, but knows he will probably have to upset the winger again at some stage.

Lampard has a large first-team squad full of star players and he is unable to satisfy them all on a weekly basis.

Hudson-Odoi started and scored in Chelsea’s last Champions League game against Rennes, which clinched qualification to the knockout stages with two games, against Sevilla and Krasnodar to spare.

But the winger was then left out of the squad for the Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur ahead of his anticipated return to the side in Sevilla, where Chelsea can secure top spot in Group E.

“Yeah, it was difficult (to leave Callum out against Tottenham), said Lampard. “I’ve been really pleased with his training lately, I’ve spoken about Callum at different times since I’ve been in the job and his training.

“His attitude is bang on, his work ethic in training and that’s affected him scoring against Rennes, coming on at Newcastle when I thought he was bright, going away with the Under-21s and doing well.

“It was tough and I have tough decisions when we have a fully fit squad like we do now when we have elite players who work hard through the week, they’re desperate to play for the club but I have to leave them out.

“So I did speak to him personally because I want him to feel where he’s at at the minute, which is making progress, and he’s getting better and there will be other times when other players have to sit out and the conversation will have to be with other players.

“Callum’s back in contention against Sevilla. I want to see him keep it going, keep that progression going and if there are times when he’s not starting or not in the squad, the main thing is that I want him to stay positive and I suppose that is part of my job to have that communication level.”

Bayern Munich failed with an offer to take Hudson-Odoi on loan at the end of the last transfer window, having also failed with a bid to sign him permanently in January 2019.

But Lampard insisted he cannot let the German’s public interest in the 20-year-old impact his decision making.

“For all these players we are talking about, we are talking about a squad where I have to leave out four or five players maybe per game and if I thought about every player and the risk of it, then I would never make a decision. I wouldn’t be able to do the job,” said Lampard.

“I’m aware with Callum and where he’s at. He took it very well. It’s not an easy decision, he took it very well. It’s not an easy conversation, all players want to play, I accept that. He will get opportunities, will get minutes against Sevilla and it’s up to him then to show that he deserves to start and keep playing.

“There’s competition in that area on the wings, that’s the reality of playing for Chelsea. I’m not worried about the noise around it or the permutations of what leaving someone out of the squad might mean down the line. I’m just making decisions for the squad.

“But at the same time, if I feel like I’m taking someone out of the squad when they deserve to be in it, I have to be straight and honest with them on that point. I have to keep them positive and moving in the right direction. Hopefully we’ve got that with Callum. His reaction to me saying that to him was great, his reaction since in training has been great and I’m sure he’ll show that again when he plays.”

Having burst onto the scene two seasons ago, when he also made his England senior debut, Hudson-Odoi has yet to establish himself as a regular starter for Chelsea.

On the player’s ups and downs, which included a long-term Achilles injury, Lampard said: “I can relate to that because we all have steps on the ladder.

“I think Callum’s early career has been, not strange, but he got into the team, there was a lot of talk around him the year before I came and then he got a really, really bad injury and for  big part of last season, the back end and even this season, I think Callum reproached himself and he was feeling the injury a little bit.

“But now time and work is showing him to be back in the form of where he wants to be, and then you can see that he’s still a developing player. When there’s a lot of talk about a player, you can forget that he’s still a very young man. It’s not nice for him, but I have to see the bigger picture and I know that Callum has hundreds of games, hopefully, in front of him.

“He’s got progression to make, will have a big impact to make, he’s got the talent and as long as he’s got the hard work which he’s showing at the minute. In the short term, he might not like it, I get that, but the other issue is that I have to look around and ask who else I take out of the squad. On another day, it might be somebody else.

“I said it to the players at the start of the season, having the squad that we have, it has to be a strength, not weakness. That has to be down to the group as a group and the strength of the players who are not playing. At the moment, I feel the group is really strong and is why players will get minutes that they deserve on Wednesday night.”