Frank Lampard has backed Chelsea’s strikers to deliver in front of goal ahead of his side’s clash with Norwich City on Saturday, despite the fact they have drawn a Premier League blank so far.
Olivier Giroud found the net in Chelsea's Uefa Super Cup loss to Liverpool in Istanbul, but the Blues' front men have failed to hit the net in two league matches so far.
Tammy Abraham, Giroud and Michy Batshuayi are Chelsea's three strikers for the campaign, with the club unable to add any recruits given their FIFA transfer ban, and head coach Lampard believes those three are all pushing each other hard.
"If we'd have been more clinical in front of goal we possibly could have had three wins," said Lampard. "The competition is there, and that's the challenge for the strikers.
"I've got no problems with their attitude and training."
Belgium striker Batshuayi, 25, pressed his claim with two goals for the Blues' under-23s in a 3-0 win over Liverpool on Monday, having scored six goals in 13 games while on loan at Crystal Palace for the second half of last season, having enjoyed less success while with Valencia earlier in the campaign.
Academy product Abraham, 21, scored 26 goals in 40 games to fire Aston Villa to play-off promotion while on loan last season.
Former Arsenal forward Giroud, 32, started all but one game as France won the World Cup in 2018 and scored 13 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for Chelsea last season - but just two of those were in the Premier League.
"We work hard on the training ground as a team to create and also to finish," Lampard added. "I used to love practising my finishing in training.
"What I have got is great attitude in the three strikers. But others in the squad also always want to stay out, want to work harder.
"Tammy's goal goes in off the post against United, different story for him, different story for the game.
"But we can't get too down about that, we've got to stay positive and it will come. We've got some great attacking players here, and it will come."
Opposition view: Results have not provided a fair reflection of Lampard's start at Chelsea
Lampard revealed that another French Wold Cup winner, midfielder N'Golo Kante, could miss the clash with promoted Norwich due to an ankle sprain (12.30pm kick-off).
Antonio Rudiger is not ready to feature this weekend as he closes in on a return after long-term knee trouble, but could be ready for the Stamford Bridge league match against Sheffield United on August 31.
Pedro missed training earlier in the week but was rested after a hectic fixture schedule, and is expected to be fit to take on the Canaries.
"Kante has got an injury he has carried all week, so we'll assess that over the next 24 hours," said Lampard. "Rudiger's not fit yet, hopefully for next week. That's the only changes from where we were last week."
Asked if Pedro had an injury issue after missing training earlier in the week, Lampard said: "That was because we had a busy week and Pedro contributed a lot physically, he had a couple of small aches.
"He's trained the last two days."
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