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Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham still to convince Frank Lampard he can be leading man

AFP via Getty Images
AFP via Getty Images

Didier Drogba is forever immortalised at Chelsea after his defining moment against Bayern Munich, but renewing battle with the Bundesliga giants on Tuesday provides a reminder of the ongoing search to replace him.

Almost eight years have passed since Drogba struck the winning spot-kick in a Champions League Final penalty shoot-out to seal the greatest night in the Blues’ history, having earlier hauled his team level to force extra-time in a match in which they were largely second best.

It was Drogba doing what Drogba did best; a force of nature blending power, poise and skill to lead the line with such devastating efficiency that he is still rightly considered one of the most complete No9s in world football.

Replacing him was never going to be easy but, by any measure, Chelsea have struggled badly — and not for the want of trying.

Fernando Torres may have scored the opening goal when these two sides met a year later in the Uefa Super Cup — a match Bayern won on penalties — but by the time the 2014-15 season came around, the Spaniard had been farmed out on loan to AC Milan, with Drogba returning to west London on loan.

He performed admirably enough but it was clear the answer had to lie elsewhere. Less clear is just where that answer resides, even now.

Diego Costa was the closest Chelsea came to a replacement, bullying his way to two Premier League titles, but the list of names to have struggled to emerge from his shadow include Radamel Falcao, Romelu Lukaku, Alexandre Pato, Loic Remy and Alvaro Morata.

On Tuesday night, Frank Lampard faces a conundrum over who leads the line in the biggest game of his managerial career to date.

Reports in France today suggested Olivier Giroud was in line to start. If correct, it is a reflection of both his impressive performance against Tottenham last weekend but also Lampard’s lingering doubts about Tammy Abraham.

Abraham was only fit enough for a late cameo against Spurs, yet he trained on Monday and would have expected to feature against Bayern, given how he has handled himself in this breakthrough season, scoring 15 goals in all competitions to keep Chelsea in the top four, while also making his England debut.

Those feats have been recognised with a double nomination at this year’s London Football Awards. No player has ever won Premier League Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year at the ceremony, but the 22-year-old is favourite in both categories.

Comparisons are always dangerous but it feels notable, given the pressure Chelsea’s young players are under, that Drogba was 26 when he joined the Blues and he ended his first season with 16 goals in a title-winning team.

However, should Abraham fail to find the net on Tuesday, either from the start or off the bench, it would be the first time this season that he has gone five Chelsea games without scoring, increasing concerns over a run of two goals in his last 10 appearances since the club’s final Champions League group stage outing against Lille.

Lampard has spent much of the season bemoaning the wastefulness of his forwards, despite Abraham’s contribution. It is why the club scoured the market for a striker in January and will do so again this summer, with Lyon’s Moussa Dembele and Red Bull Leipzig forward Timo Werner among those under serious consideration.

Giroud is desperate to keep his place in France’s line-up for Euro 2020 and against Spurs his two shots on target were as many as Michy ¬Batshuayi managed in his last 15 games, but it would still rank as a surprise were he to get the nod on Tuesday.

Compare the dilemma to Bayern, who possess one of the most potent strikers in world football. Robert Lewandowski is the Champions League’s top scorer this season with 10 goals, netting in five of their group stage matches and notching the fastest quadruple in the competition’s history with a 16-minute salvo at Red Star Belgrade.

The 31-year-old has scored 42 goals in 38 appearances for club and country, including 11 in his last 10. It is a record Lampard is candidly envious of.

“Everything about him, from a distance, from afar, is just top class,” he said. “Having had the opportunity to watch a lot of Bayern in the build up to this game, that shines through.

“Of course he’s going to be a huge threat. He’s not the only threat, but he is a spearhead. We will have to be at our best.”

Asked whether Giroud would start, Lampard added: “I don’t want to go into who’s starting or not. Part of the reason is because he’s had a lot of recovery in between games. There’s a tight turnaround.

Giroud passed Saturday's audition against Tottenham (PA)
Giroud passed Saturday's audition against Tottenham (PA)

“The effort put in against Tottenham was huge, so I have to assess that all the way up to the game. But the way he played was fantastic.

“I know I can rely on him. He’s professional, he’s quality and he was great. He’s given me a lot to think about.”

The internal debate over Chelsea’s main striker continues.

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