Frank Lampard admits he would like to rest two first-team stars

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he would like to rest both Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic but that has not been possible due to the injury concerns in the midfield department.

The Blues are currently without N'Golo Kante and Ross Barkley due to fitness issues while Ruben Loftus-Cheek remains sidelined for the long-term following his Achilles injury.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Lampard said that he wanted to rest Jorginho and Kovacic for the midweek League Cup tie against Manchester United but the injuries did not permit him to do so.

"I would have liked to give Jorginho in particular and Kovacic a rest tonight as well because of what they have been putting in, the endurance of the season, but I couldn’t because of N’Golo, Ross and Ruben out long-term," he told.

The west London giants are set to face Watford on the road in the Premier League this weekend and both Jorginho and Kovacic are expected to start in the centre of the park.

Lampard has the choice of fielding the young Billy Gilmour in midfield but so far, he has restricted the option of playing the club graduate from the starting lineup in the top-flight.