Ziyech: Chelsea playmaker’s injury poses tough questions for Lampard

Hakim Ziyech walking off the pitch vs Leeds United last Saturday was a particularly worrying sight for many Chelsea supporters.

Clutching his hamstring as he trod off the Stamford Bridge turf moments after playing a role in Olivier Giroud’s equalizer, the average fan understandably feared the worst. Injuries of that nature usually put you out for a few weeks at least or a couple of months, in the case of a tear, so the fact the Morocco playmaker pulled up with the Blues’ demanding Christmas schedule imminent prompted concern.

Easing fears of the club’s followers on Tuesday night, Frank Lampard revealed the former Ajax man shouldn’t be ruled out for long, much the same as Callum Hudson-Odoi who picked up a similar injury in training before Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Krasnodar.

“Both players are hopefully going to be missing for around two weeks,” the Blues head coach disclosed in midweek. “They had scans yesterday and they’re showing it will be about two weeks so I think that’s positive, particularly with Hakim.

Just seeing excerpts from Lampard’s presser yesterday & Hudson-Odoi’s badly-timed injury further complicates things for Chelsea’s stretched forward line.

— Seye Omidiora (@theReal_SeyE) December 8, 2020

“With Callum, we didn’t know what to expect because it was an injury he got in training a couple of days ago.”

While the relief at not missing a lengthy period is almost palpable, the ill-timed nature of Ziyech’s layoff and the profile of the player in question will test, stretch and possibly unsettle the Blues in the next fortnight or so.

Lampard seemed to have found a balance in the last few weeks with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz or Mateo Kovacic playing as free 8’s in a three-man midfield, while Ziyech started on the right side of attack along with Timo Werner or Christian Pulisic on the opposite side, flanking either Tammy Abraham or, recently, Giroud.

The Moroccan’s injury means Havertz may be played in the Ziyech role as he did vs Krasnodar on Tuesday, while it could be Mason Mount to moonlight as a right-sided forward, to the chagrin of Blues fans who absolutely feel the England international shouldn’t be moved from his best position in central midfield.

Mount will likely play in attack at some point, prompting further abuse from supporters who sometimes miss obvious context.

— Seye Omidiora (@theReal_SeyE) December 8, 2020

In a sense, this adds to the frustration over Callum Hudson-Odoi’s absence given he’d deputised for the North African in recent games where Lampard has rotated. Due to the significant strides the Bayern Munich target has made in recent months, the youngster could certainly have been a beneficiary of the absence of the ex-Ajax man.

Having the 20-year-old winger — by and large, the only natural winger in the Chelsea side — available will have mitigated for Ziyech’s injury and allowed Lampard keep the shape that’s provided the side’s best performances this season in an impressive 14-game unbeaten run (17 if you, strangely, include the League Cup defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on penalties).

Indeed, there are other alternatives for the Blues legend including utilising both Pulisic and Werner as wide attackers, as witnessed against Leeds following the withdrawal of the maverick. The American initially played on the right after the like-for-like substitution but switched to his favoured position on the left having initially struggled to get into the game.

The upshot of the tweak saw Werner play on the right flank for the majority of the second half, largely unideal for the Germany international, who is anything but a natural winger.

Even though the rapidity of the former RB Leipzig man and evident threat when he turns on the after-burners, as seen in Chelsea’s third vs Leeds, means the possibility of Werner the winger may not be the worst idea in the world; the 24-year-old certainly wasn’t signed for that purpose.

Possible replacements for Ziyech include Mount (better suited in central midfield), Havertz (still yet to hit the heights since his big-money move), Pulisic (more proficient on the left) and Werner (evidently not a winger and in the same boat as the US star).

None of the aforementioned quartet neither has the skillset and invention of the Moroccan nor relationship with Reece James, whose budding partnership with the wide playmaker was evident in that 4-1 success over Sheffield United.

Ziyech’s impeccable showing vs Sheffield United was just a tip of the iceberg with the playmaker showing he’ll be central to Lampard’s Chelsea evolution.

Get ready Premier League, there’s a new sheriff in town. #CFC

Piece on @GoalAfricahttps://t.co/6VGPten8K0

— Seye Omidiora (@theReal_SeyE) November 10, 2020

Ziyech leads the way for Expected Assists per 90 in Premier League games, with Mount, Havertz and Pulisic some way off with 0.17, 0.09 and 0.03 respectively. Werner, though, has xA per 90 of 0.21, second to the ex-Ajax player.

The Moroccan also tops for Shot-Creating Actions per 90 (5.80) as well as Goal-Creating Actions per game (1.39). Mount (4.00 and 0.67 for SCA and GCA per 90 respectively), Havertz (3.17 and 0.43), Pulisic (3.21 and 0.36) and Werner (3.18 and 0.77) all trail the 27-year-old and, despite boasting impressive strengths, don’t have his unique final-third influence and artistry.

The playmaker’s impact isn’t surprising given Goal predicted before the start of the season that the arrival from Dutch football would thrive due to his knack for the unexpected, among other qualities.

There was also a feeling that, of all the top Chelsea signings, Ziyech’s role and position were pretty defined, unlike Havertz and Werner who have now been used in several positions since September.

Everton are the opponents this weekend (and Goodison Park hasn’t been the kindest ground to the Blues for a while), while games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United follow before Ziyech’s expected return against Arsenal on Boxing Day.

The Blues then play Aston Villa two days later to close out 2020 at the Bridge and begin the New Year with an interesting clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City; games they’ll hope to have the team’s creative hub available for.

Lampard has shown impressive adaptability in the Chelsea job so far, but how his side navigates yet another tricky period will greatly enhance or diminish the West Londoners’ reputation as title contenders.