Frank Lampard insists Chelsea will be 'ready to go' for new season despite calls for delayed start

Long season: Chelsea's gruelling 2019/20 campaign finally came to an end with another heavy defeat to Bayern Munich in Bavaria
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Giuseppe Muro10 August 2020

Frank Lampard is confident Chelsea will be ready for the kick-off of the new season on September 12, despite his calls for them to be given a delayed start to the 2020/21 campaign.

The Blues’ marathon season finished on Saturday when they went out of the Champions League with a 4-1 defeat - 7-1 on aggregate - to Bayern Munich.

Manager Lampard has urged the Premier League to consider giving Chelsea a longer break after their season was extended by two weeks by the FA Cup Final, in which they were defeated by Arsenal, and their trip to Germany.

Their players will have less than two weeks off before they return for pre-season, but Lampard said: “We will be ready to go come September 12 or whenever they give us our first League date.

In Pictures | Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Champions League | 08/08/2020

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“The lads need a break, they deserve a break. They know the plan. It has been [a] long [season] for everybody, but it has been longer for us.

"It has been the longest season ever, so it is important they have a break and we will be firing."

Chelsea are closing in on a deal to sign Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen and Lampard is set for talks with the board about their transfer plans as he also targets defensive reinforcements and a new goalkeeper.

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