FRANK LAMPARD has defended his decision to hand just a second-ever Chelsea start to Scottish wonderkid Billy Gilmour.
The Blues boss set tongues wagging by selecting the 18-year-old ahead of Italy internationalist Jorginho for Tuesday night’s breathless 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
Jorginho is yet to start a match since the restart of the English Premier League and speculation continues to swirl that Juventus – managed by his old gaffer Maurizio Sarri – are ready to swoop.
However, Lampard is adamant Gilmour was selected on merit and has urged onlookers not to read anything into the high-profile omission.
Lampard said: “I thought Billy [Gilmour] did pretty well.
“I wasn’t overly delighted with our midfield. I think considering how they have played in recent games and how slickly we have moved the ball in recent games and rotation, I thought we held onto it a bit long today.
“But the reason I played Billy is a choice. The two games Billy played before lockdown against Liverpool – probably the best team in the world – and Everton were fantastic.
“Little moments or my opinion of how I look at the game mean I have to make difficult choices through the games.
“It doesn’t mean anything for the future of Jorginho, Gilmour or anyone else in the team.”
