CHELSEA prospect Alfie Gilchrist has travelled with Frank Lampard’s squad for their clash with Manchester United on Thursday evening.
The Blues have endured a torrid run since Frank Lampard took interim charge until the end of the season.
The former England midfielder, 44, has lost seven of his nine games during his second spell as head coach at Stamford Bridge.
And it is unrelenting until the end of the campaign for the club’s all-time record scorer as Chelsea travel to Old Trafford, before hosting Champions League-bound Newcastle on Sunday.
But one player who will earn some invaluable experience during these final days of the season is English defender Gilchrist.
The centre-back, 19, was snapped arriving at The Hyatt Hotel in Manchester with the rest of Chelsea’s first-team squad.
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Gilchrist, who has trained with the senior side this week, is captain of the Blues’ U21 side and was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Season award.
The U21s campaign concluded at the end of April.
But while many of Chelsea’s young stars are now enjoying their holidays, Gilchrist will be hoping Lampard hands him some minutes in their final two league matches.
It comes as centre-half Benoit Badiashile – who was absent for the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City at the weekend – looks set to remain sidelined for the clash with Man Utd.
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But Ben Chilwell could return to the side after recovering from a thigh injury.
The defender was back in team training on Thursday and may push for a starting place.
Chelsea sit 12th in the Premier League table and can only climb one place before the end of the campaign.
Next season will be the Blues’ first year without European football since the 2016/17 campaign – when they went on to lift the Premier League title under Antonio Conte.
Mauricio Pochettino will take over from Lampard in the summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
