By Brian Bariyo
Frank Lampard has been given permission by Derby County not to report back to pre-season training on Monday as he continues discussions about returning to Chelsea as manager.
Derby have given the Premier League club permission to talk to their manager and are thought to want £4m in compensation should he leave. They expect talks to conclude on Monday or Tuesday. The 41-year-old former England midfielder is in line to replace Maurizio Sarri after the Italian returned to his homeland with Juventus. But Chelsea’s technical and performance adviser, Petr Cech, said Lampard is not the only candidate for the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge. “The Club has identified several candidates, the situation is open,” Cech said.
“Frank is one of them. Before the first team begins preparations we want to solve the issue of the new manager. “The most important thing is to choose a new manager, it will be crucial in the context of further work. The coach will have ideas for the team; we will be completing the team for next season. He will have to look at the players and decide who will go to Japan.” However, Gonzalo Higuaín has returned to Juventus following the conclusion of his loan spell at Chelsea, the club have confirmed. The former Argentine international had a disappointing loan spell at Stamford Bridge during the second half of last season, scoring five goals in 18 appearances and the former club captain Gary Cahill has also left Stamford Bridge at the end of his contract, as have the goalkeepers Rob Green and Eduardo and the defender Kyle Scott.
