Chelsea boss Lampard tells Pulisic to fight for place

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has told Christian Pulisic to fight for his place.

Some in the USA have accused the Chelsea boss of favouritism because he is picking young English players ahead of the big-money signing from Pennsylvania.

But Lampard said: This is one of my difficult problems in this job, that I have good players and everyone has a story.

Christian Pulisic has a price-tag, Ross Barkley is an international player, Mason Mount is an international player.

Callum Hudson-Odoi has just signed a new contract, Bayern Munich wanted to buy him last summer, he is an international player.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek will come back and be an international player and I can't pick them all in the game, unfortunately.

All I have to demand of them is that they show me in training or show me in the game when they get the chances to play that they are worthy of their place.

That's not to make me sound like a hard taskmaster, that's just a brutal reality of my job. Next week I might be asked about two other names."

Lampard gave the USA international a chance against Grimsby in the Carabao Cup and the implication is that he did not take it.

Boss Lamps said: I spoke to him two days before the Grimsby game and was very clear about the standards.

And we have to give him the fact he has moved country, moved leagues and is as young as all the young players we keep talking about. He has just turned 21.

What he needs to do is work daily and work to show within the group that he deserves to play."