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Frank Lampard says Chelsea are still helping Kai Havertz adjust to the pace of the Premier League following the midfielder’s recovery from a severe case of Covid-19.
A variety of factors have prevented Havertz, who has scored a league goal this season, from shining since he moved for £ 62m from Bayer Leverkusen in September. The German had little time to settle in England after a lengthy transfer and while he has shown flashes of class at times, his progress stalled when he tested positive for coronavirus in November.
It was a difficult time for a young talent who had not yet found his footing in a new country. Havertz, who has been a starter on the bench in Chelsea’s last three games, suffered a slump from illness and Lampard takes it into account when evaluating the 21-year-old’s performances. “After moving out of the country and losing the preseason, Kai was with us for eight days, five working days before playing,” said the Chelsea manager before hosting Manchester City on Sunday. “That is simply not beneficial for a player in any league, let alone when you are entering the fastest and most physical league in the world. Just when Kai had just accepted it, he got Covid. I had Covid pretty severely.
“It has definitely had some physical consequences with it. It is something that we are trying to help you deal with. The expectation around it: you have to put context in the story. Kai’s talent is undeniable. Giving him time to adjust is crucial. “
Lampard said some players have shown no ill effects after recovering from the virus, revealing that Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso recovered quickly after testing positive. Havertz hasn’t been so lucky, which gives some context to his inconsistent form.
Chelsea, who have lost three of their last five games, is ready to be patient after a considerable investment. Aware that Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah flourished at City and Liverpool respectively after leaving Chelsea, Lampard is completely behind Havertz. He has offered similar endorsement to the German’s compatriot, Timo Werner.
“We’ve seen players come here in the past, they didn’t really adapt, they went elsewhere and they came back to the Premier League and they turned it on to absolutely incredible levels,” Lampard said. “We need to give him that time, particularly due to the Covid situation. That is not a problem, it is a problem that is related beyond your illness. I am there to help you. “
The relentless schedule has also made it difficult for Lampard to instill his ideas in practice. But with the next fortnight free from weekday homework, Lampard has a chance to plan. Chelsea’s next game, at home to Morecambe in the FA Cup third round next Sunday, is in doubt due to a Covid outbreak at the League Two club. If the tie is canceled, Chelsea will not play again until they visit Fulham on 15 January.
“It gives us a real opportunity to get into training camp because if I had done it my way and we had a four-week preseason, the physical work that we would have done with the new players would have gone to a very good place. [where] you would hope to start the season, “said Lampard.
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“We lost it. They all missed it, so for newcomers to the club it’s even more critical. If we can do two, three or four sessions during those two weeks, it will be beneficial. Not just for Kai but for the whole team. “
Lampard has repeatedly downplayed any speech about the title. You are thinking long term. “I know from playing what it takes to win a title,” he said. “I look at the teams that have rosters full of champions.
“Everyone points to our checkbook, I look at the teams that have spent so much money, if not more, in the last two or three windows.
“We have just added people to the team. They don’t stop and say ‘OK, everything is perfect’. I really believe in this team for the long term, but I definitely felt like there was a process and that’s why I spoke about it. “
