Frank Lampard's Chelsea return 'good news' as Mateo Kovacic welcomes coach’s 'clear idea' on expectations

• Blues sacked Potter in disappointing season
• Club legend appointed as interim boss
• Players happy to have former coach back

WHAT HAPPENED? The Blues icon, who was relieved of his managerial duties at Stamford Bridge back in January 2021, has been reappointed by the Premier League heavyweights as caretaker boss following the sacking of Graham Potter. Lampard knows all about life in west London, having also spent 13 memorable years with Chelsea as a player, and Kovacic is happy to see a familiar face being charged with the task of rescuing a disappointing season.

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WHAT THEY SAID: Kovacic, who played under Lampard during his first spell as Blues boss, has told Sky Sports: “We know him, he was our coach. It’s good news that he is back and trying to change our season, because it’s not been good. We need to be honest with ourselves. In the end it is easier to sack a coach than 30 players, but it’s on us as well. We need to do better and to say thank you to Potter, who was here and did a good job. It is not easy when many changes are here, so it was a bad situation for him as well.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Croatia international midfielder Kovacic added on Lampard’s early messages to the expensively-assembled squad he has inherited from Potter: “We had a short meeting. He explained what he wants and what his desire is for the end of the season. We now have the opportunity to go and climb the table in the league as much as we can and we have two beautiful games with Real Madrid so there is a possibility, and if there is a possibility to finish the season good, then we should take it.

"He came very calm with a clear idea about what he expects from us, but it’s one day so we will see in the next days what he will ask us to do on the pitch and how we prepare. It’s difficult to tell how it’s going to be, but he’s back and we want to do out best for the club.”

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WHAT NEXT? Lampard’s first game back at the helm will see Chelsea travel to Wolves on Saturday, with the first leg of an eagerly-anticipated Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid set to take place at Santiago Bernabeu next Wednesday.