Chelsea manager Frank Lampard insists he's ready to throw striker Tammy Abraham back in at the deep end against Leicester City this weekend, despite the England Under-21 international suffering racist abuse online.
The club have already confirmed in a statement that they are investigating the abuse which Abraham received online from so-called Chelsea supporters, following the 21-year-old's missed penalty against Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup.
With Chelsea's investigation still going on behind the scenes, manager Lampard has confirmed that Abraham is still part of his first-team plans when they host Leicester City this weekend, adding that the club will offer their full support for the England youth international.
"I think the best thing is for him to move on," Lampard said, quoted by The Guardian. "But it depends on Tammy for starters and he’s not said that to me and, if he did, the reaction would be not that you’re giving in to it. But Tammy is a strong boy.
"I want to support him. I try to be close to my players. When something like this happens it’s the first thing I do. If there was anything more he needed, then the club would 100 per cent be there for him. He’s getting the support I hope he feels he needs."
Chelsea have already shown that they're adopting a no-nonsense approach when it comes to racist abuse from the club's own fans, having slapped one supporter with a lifetime ban following an incident with Raheem Sterling at Stamford Bridge last year.
Anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out have confirmed that they will hold meetings with Twitter over what more can be done to prevent players from becoming victims of racist abuse online.
Source :
90min
