Frank Lampard insisted there was no issue over Chelsea’s hierarchy of penalty takers after Ross Barkley missed a spot kick in their loss to Valencia.
Chelsea looked to be heading for a goalless draw, before Rodrigo fired in Valencia’s winning goal with 15 minutes to go. Barkley’s subsequent missed penalty came after some confusion over who would take it, but Lampard was keen to move on from the issue.
“We shouldn’t lose the game. Clearly. At least not lose it,” he told BT Sport. “We had a fair few chances. And then the penalty, which we miss. We have to keep our heads up. There is a long way to go. It is a lesson. Teams at this level can hurt you.
“Ross is a penalty taker and is when he starts games. He took it and missed it. It is a great story to say there is contention between players. If he scores it is not a story. But he took it and missed. That is it. The disappointment to all of us is that we didn’t get chance to win the game. There is no issue in the dressing room.”
Another sour note for Chelsea was the injury suffered by Mason Mount early in the game – but Lampard hopes it is nothing serious.
“It did affect the game and we know how well he is playing. He looked sharp. It is an ankle injury and hopefully not too bad. It needs to be assessed over the next few days.”
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Despite the defeat, Lampard is convinced his side will be able to bounce back.
“I saw Liverpool lost tonight. This is the Champions League and there are tough games. There will be bumps in the road for us with the youth we have and changes we are trying to make. But we need to be strong and be ready with Liverpool here at the weekend.”