Lampard embraces the pressure as Chelsea chase fourth

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RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHELSEA MANAGER FRANK LAMPARD / B-ROLL OF TRAINING GROUND AND TRAINING / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF N'GOLO KANTE

SHOWS:

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (FEBRUARY 24, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, WALKS ON TO TRAINING PITCH

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 6, 2020) (CHELSEA FC - ACCESS ALL)

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"I'm not sure they were off track. And I'm not sure we're back on track because every game is another obstacle. In the Premier League, they're all difficult. So, we know what we've got in front of us now in a short period of games that are going to get us to, hopefully, were we want to be in the season, or not. So, we just have to take it at face value. Crystal Palace are a very difficult team to play against. They're a very good team, very organized, good individual players who can hurt you as well, defensively. I'm not too concerned with where we're at, I just want us to approach the game in the right way."

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (FEBRUARY 24, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

3. VARIOUS OF LAMPARD AND COACHING STAFF AT CHELSEA TRAINING SESSION

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 6, 2020) (CHELSEA FC - ACCESS ALL)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON MANCHESTER UNITED, SAYING:

"Yeah, they're closest and they're a very strong team and have been in great form for a very long period of time. They've got really good players, really good individual players. And you've seen the momentum they've gained at this part of the season. Of course, their front three are all scoring lots of goals. So yeah, they're the biggest threat from behind, I guess. But as I've said before, this is the Premier League and it looks that way today, that's how I've asked this team to finish the season, game by game."

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (FEBRUARY 24, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

5. CHELSEA SQUAD JOGGING ON PITCH DURING TRAINING SESSION

6. VARIOUS OF TRAINING SESSION

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 6, 2020) (CHELSEA FC - ACCESS ALL)

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, SAYING:

"I think the reality is that, I'd like to think they're not ignoring much of what's happening around them. Football's never been more on TV or viewed than it is at this moment in time. I expect them to buy into that and want to see what results are happening around us. I think that's pretty much human nature and on a sporting level that means that you care, and you want to see what's happening. And then there has to be a slight switch off and a flip to the fact that you focus on yourself. We can't control the other games. We're interested in them, but we can certainly control what we do. So, it can fire you up a little bit, seeing what's happening around you. But the position that we're in means a lot is in our own hands and that's the main thing. When we try and when we compare, and when we play, that we focus absolutely on how we put out our best performance."

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 4, 2020) (REUTERS VIA ACTION IMAGES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

7. TWO STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF N'GOLO KANTE DURING MATCH AGAINST WATFORD

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 6, 2020) (CHELSEA FC - ACCESS ALL)

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON INJURIES, SAYING:

"Kante won't be in the squad. He hurt his hamstring; low level hamstring injury. We're hoping it will be a week or so (before he returns). Kovacic trained with us today, he's not ready for this game, hopefully the next. And Tomori is still not ready. He had a small setback in training, hopefully it will be next week (that he is back)."

COBHAM, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 19, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

9. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF CHELSEA'S TRAINING GROUND / PLAYERS ARRIVING FOR TRAINING

STORY: Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will take nothing for granted when his team play out of form Crystal Palace on Tuesday (July 7) as the race for fourth in the Premier League hots up and sides try and hold their nerve.

The London club will be short of midfield options, with N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic both injured, Lampard confirmed on Monday (July 6).

Frenchman Kante picked up a hamstring strain in the second half of Chelsea's 3-0 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (July 4) while Croatian Kovacic did not feature last week in the 3-2 defeat at West Ham United after injuring his Achilles.

Chelsea are fourth in the standings with 57 points from 33 matches, two points ahead of Manchester United and a point behind Leicester City in the battle for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.

Lampard said United are the biggest threat from behind and that they are taking it game by game as they seek to finish in the top four.

(Production: Iain Axon, Kurt Michael Hall)