The England international's inclusion against Burnley caused a stir, but the Blues boss felt vindicated by his choice at full-time
Frank Lampard has showered praise on Chelsea's Ross Barkley after his fine performance against Burnley, stating that the midfielder – who had made headlines lately with off-field issues – is just as important to the squad as the likes of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho.
Kante had been pencilled in to line up against the Clarets but was forced to pull out ahead of the clash due to a hamstring issue.
Lampard's decision to start Barkley instead sparked debate among fans, with many wondering why the more defensive-minded Mateo Kovacic was not deployed in his place.