KEY POINTS

  • Lampard says Havertz is doing fine in quarantine
  • Chelsea coach claims Havertz is willing to cooperate for his full recovery
  • Lampard makes adjustments in Havertz's absence

Chelsea FC chalked up another win against Rennes, a match they won 3-0. Timo Werner was the start of the game after he was appointed the new penalty striker by Frank Lampard.

But in that match, there was a notable absentee in Kai Havertz. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced into self-isolation.

The Chelsea manager confirmed the results in an official Twitter post from the club’s social media account.

"Kai's showed up in the UEFA testing on Monday, so we re-tested them yesterday and everyone else is negative in the squad, so that's a good sign," Lampard said.

Lampard went on to add that he has been in constant communication with Havertz. Being deprived to play, it comes as no surprise that the big money acquisition is pretty disappointed with what has transpired.

"He's trying to do all the right things. It's just one of those things in the modern day with where we're at. Hopefully, he isolates, does the right things, and comes back firing," he stated.

All Havertz can do right now is to go through the protocols and see when he can spring back to action. If all goes accordingly, the earliest time that the German can return for the Blues is after the international break.

Chelsea is set to face Newcastle United later this month in the English Premier League, Goal reported.

With Havertz unavailable, the brunt of the load for the Blues has now gone to Werner and Tammy Abraham. Both responded masterfully against Rennes with Lampard making the necessary adjustments to make up for the German's absence.

"The way we want to play in a 4-3-3 like today, you get plenty of opportunities as a left-side winger or inside winger to get into the box. It really suits him. We saw loads of fluidity in the front three as a whole today," he mentioned.

Lampard hopes the temporary setup can hold up for now. They are set to face Sheffield United this Saturday. Havertz will miss that match and also be likely out for the German national team in a friendly match against the Czech Republic next week.

Beyond that, Germany also has fixtures versus Ukraine and Spain, according to Sky Sports.

Germany midfielder Kai Havertz sat out Leverkusen's 2-1 win over Bayern Munich last November due to injury
Germany midfielder Kai Havertz sat out Leverkusen's 2-1 win over Bayern Munich last November due to injury AFP / Ina Fassbender