Frank Lampard: I faith in this Chelsea squad

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard insists he has complete faith in his squad ahead of his first game in charge of the Blues, despite the transfer ban cloud that has hung over the club this summer.

His job was further complicated when creative lynchpin Eden Hazard was sold to Real Madrid, but the former England midfielder claims he trusts the squad of players he inherited.

“We’ve got a group here I believe a lot in,” he told Sky Sports ahead of their opener against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

“I know we have a transfer ban and a lot of the talk around us has been questioning what we can do, but I certainly believe in the squad.

“We know the bar has been raised by Manchester City and Liverpool last season and there is the challenge – can we close the gap?