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The veteran has played sparingly this season, but his manager has insisted that he is ready to be a key player in the future.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has insisted that Olivier Giroud is an important part of his plans after the forward sent the Blues to the Champions League round of 16 with a late win in Rennes.
Serhou Guirassy appeared to have salvaged a point for the Ligue 1 side when he canceled the Callum Hudson-Odoi opener in the 85th minute at Roazhon Park.
But Giroud, who came on as a substitute in the second half, would have the final say when he scored a header in injury time to give Chelsea a 2-1 victory.
The 34-year-old has been frustrated by his lack of minutes at Stamford Bridge this season as he only made one full start and played just 36 minutes in the Premier League.
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The play of Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham has helped keep Giroud on the sidelines, with the French international looking for a move in January to win more minutes before Euro 2020.
At his post-match press conference, Lampard praised Giroud’s professionalism during what has been a difficult period.
“Things behind the scenes, everyone feels, from the outside, that he is just what a great professional he is and how much his teammates and I consider him,” Lampard said.
“So for him to score a goal, you saw the reaction of his teammates, he’s so professional in the way he trains and takes care of himself that age is not even a factor for him. He’s getting better with age. in terms of how it is cared for.
“He offers a lot for us and I keep saying it, but the great schedule that is coming up and the way we play means that I will trust the players. Fortunately for me, he is a player who always maintains the right attitude if he does not play regularly. . and I know when I call it that it comes like it did today. “
As Chelsea prepare for a busy December that will see them play eight games, Lampard has emphasized the importance of Giroud in their plans.
“These are questions of selection for me,” Lampard said. “We need that. We need that with playing every three days, maybe at Christmas we will be playing every other day unless the schedule is arranged.
“With Oli, it’s hard to say that I have to prove it to him. I have to watch him game by game and play with him to get the best for us. At the moment Tammy is also in great shape. I think Oli knows how happy I am with him. I hope you know how much I trust him.
“All the players want to play every game and that is an impossible part of my job to keep them happy, but I hope they know it and feel happy. He has minutes, he entered today and there will be games in which he will also start for us.” “
