Interim Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has confirmed that Reece James and Mason Mount are likely to miss the rest of the season.
James has been hampered by injuries this season causing him to miss the World Cup and he is now set to play no further part in Chelsea’s campaign.
Mount will undergo minor surgery but Lampard is hopeful the 24-year-old could be available for the final game of the season against Newcastle United.
“Reece James unavailable. Probably for the season,” Lampard told reporters on Tuesday.
“Mason Mount, probably the same. Potential for the last game but probably not.”
“That’s obviously disappointing for us. Kai [Havertz] is struggling a little bit with his knee so won’t be available tomorrow but the good news is that he should be available by the end of the week.
“It is a blow for all of us as they’re all big players. Reece had a hamstring injury that he picked up against Madrid. He got it in the game and we picked it up with scans in the following few days.
“Mason has been carrying this pelvic injury for a while and it pre-dates myself for a while. I have been trying and the medical staff have been trying.
“But it has got to the stage where he will have a minor surgery and it will probably be a four-week recovery.”
Chelsea face Brentford on Wednesday knowing that even a win would not be enough to climb into the top half of the table.
The Blues sit 11th in the table and face a challenging run of fixtures which include games against Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United.
The Blues need to win their remaining seven league fixtures and hope for slip-ups from the clubs above them to have any chance of qualifying for Europe next season.
Despite Chelsea being out of contention for silverware, Lampard is looking forward to seeing how his players measure up in the face of a daunting run-in.
“I understand it a little bit. I was fortunate enough to be part of teams challenging for stuff at the end of the season but that’s not a given,” said Lampard.
“We do it so we feel it more. You won’t compete absolutely every season so it comes down to your personal pride and responsibility. The run-in is really tough, my interest is to see how the players react to that.”
Lampard refused to rule out the club’s young players earning game time before the end of the season.
The 44-year-old has long been an advocate of promoting the club’s academy players and before he exits his interim role, there could be opportunities to those most deserving.
“If they deserve it for sure. First period of the club, with the transfer ban, the young players got in because they deserved, Lampard added. “A culture that should always be there. If you do that, you will always get an opportunity with me.”
