Lampard must perform for Chelsea at PSG with World Cup looming

Ageing legs coupled with the overdue emergence of exciting English talent in the Premier League this season has finally brought Frank Lampard’s Three Lions spot at a major tournament into question.

According to Ladbrokes, Lampard’s hand luggage has already been reserved a place in the overhead lockers on England’s Brazil-bound aircraft, as the firm label Lamps a 1/3 shot to make the final 23-man squad.

However, the position Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer finds himself in is perhaps not as clear cut as his odds-on price would have us believe, especially with the likes of Ross Barkley and Jordan Henderson at 1/2 making their own convincing cases.

Although Lampard was still heavily involved with England during the qualification process, he’s since failed to feature in either of the last two internationals for his country and he’s been in and out of the Chelsea starting line-up as well.

For a man who has reached double figures in every season he’s pulled on a blue shirt, his rather modest return of seven goals this season is an indicator that he may finally be replaceable on the international stage.

Lampard will turn 36 during the World Cup and if he is intent on celebrating with his England teammates, rather than on some white sand with fiancée Christine Bleakley, then the Champions League is his best chance to serve a timely reminder to Roy Hodgson.

With only one goal in his last 11 appearances for the Blues, having a big influence and getting on the scoresheet in either quarter-final tie against PSG would be a welcome boost to his World Cup chances.

Given Nemanja Matic is cup-tied, Lampard will almost certainly start both games in the Chelsea engine room and the Blues legend can be backed at 10/3 to find the PSG net in Paris.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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