Hours after helping Chelsea to a draw at Liverpool,
Frank Lampard was back at the bedside of his mother Pat, yesterday
as her health suddenly worsened. Pat was admitted to hospital 10
days ago when she was diagnosed to be suffering from pneumonia, but
her condition had appeared to improve in recent days.
Last night a spokesman for Lampard said she was "critically
ill". Lampard, who missed last week's games against Wigan and
Everton to be with her, felt positive enough to return to training
on Sunday and then declared himself available for Tuesday's
Champions League semi-final first-leg at Anfield.
A goalless draw or any sort of win against Liverpool at Stamford
Bridge next Wednesday will be enough to reach the final in Moscow
on May 21 against either Manchester United or Barcelona.
He is not expected at training today and it is highly unlikely
that he will be involved on Saturday. Chelsea have granted him
further compassionate leave and he thanked for their help with the
situation after the draw at Anfield. His inclusion in the second
leg of the Champions League semi-final is also in doubt.
Lampard would not have travelled to Merseyside had 58-year-old
Pat's condition not shown the signs of improvement it did last
weekend. She was stable but, when he emerged from the dressing room
after the game, his excitement at such a good result was still
coloured by concern.
Lampard spoke with typical candour about the toughest week of
his life and admitted his mum would not have wanted him to miss
such an important game on her behalf. "She follows me up and down
the country so, knowing her, she would've had a right go at me for
not playing this game," he said. "So that was in the back of my
mind."
Sadly, the mood changed yesterday when Pat's condition
deteriorated. Lampard has previously spoken of how close he is to
his mother and called himself a "real mummy's boy". He said: "We're
very similar. Quite sensitive, quite shy. Mum's been the one who
shaped me as a person — how to treat people, manners, that kind of
thing. "She's brilliant and was always there for me and my two
sisters, whatever we wanted to do."
Manager Avram Grant will exert no pressure on Lampard to return
and help the team through two vital games. In selection terms, the
Chelsea boss has Michael Essien back as a straightforward
replacement for Lampard after he missed the draw at Anfield through
suspension. Essien was outstanding in midfield against both Wigan
and Everton last week, when Lampard was absent.
Ideally, Grant may like to give some players a breather before
next week's semi-final but the game against United is so big that
his flexibility will be limited.
