Frank Lampard Talks Willian, Wide Options After Christian Pulisic Lille Absence

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was full of praise for Willian after his goal against Lille in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and has said his players need to be "on the edge" after Christian Pulisic was dropped from the squad.

The Blues got their first points of the 2019-20 Champions League after an impressive 2-1 win in France, with Tammy Abraham and Willian on the scoresheet.

The latter scored the winning goal, and he has cemented his place in the Chelsea team under the new boss.

When asked about the Brazilian after the game, Lampard highlighted the number of qualities he has and the fierce competition at Stamford Bridge in the wide areas, per Chelsea TV (h/t Mark Jones of the Daily Mirror):

"He's been really important. He's a top player, I want to see him happy and have a smile on his face. His work ethic has been brilliant. He can take people out with his speed and trickery, and he can score goals for us. And that's a lovely balance for the younger players.

"We have to have really strong competition in wide areas and attacking areas. It must be like that, it must be on edge, and I've got a few different options in that area. But Willian gives us experience, and he's shown in the last two games with goals on top of great work ethic and quality."

The 31-year-old did brilliantly to volley home Callum Hudson-Odoi's deep cross in the 78th minute:

Willian has featured in six Premier League games for the Blues this season and started both of the team's Champions League matches.

Although Lampard is clearly looking to introduce more young players into the setup at Stamford Bridge, having players like Willian around is valuable for the squad. The Brazilian may divide opinion among the club's fanbase, but his application and energy has made him a coach's favourite throughout his career.

Per Sky Sports Statto, he has been one of Chelsea's most prolific players in this competition in recent years:

Lampard's words about the depth of options in the wide areas rings true when he can leave someone like Pulisic out of the squad entirely.

The United States international moved to Chelsea in the summer, and he's been unable to hit the ground running.

At the moment, it feels like he is a long way down the pecking order:

Miguel Delaney of The Independent provided his insight into the situation:

With the fixtures starting to pile up due to Champions League and Carabao Cup commitments, Pulisic will surely get on the field more frequently in the coming weeks for the Blues.

It's clear he's going to have to up his levels to get in the team frequently, though. With Hudson-Odoi returning to fitness, Mason Mount shining and Willian among the goals, the path into the first team at Chelsea isn't going to be straightforward for the U.S. men's national team star.