Ancelotti confident Lampard will end goal drought

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted it is only a matter of time before Frank Lampard’s goal drought comes to an end — and the Italian would love to see it happen against Liverpool on Sunday.

Lampard went through the entire month of September and a total of eight games without a goal, a rarity for the England midfielder, and Chelsea suddenly appear to be struggling a little after losing to Wigan last weekend and then labouring to a 1-0 win over APOEL Nicosia in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Ancelotti however professes to be unconcerned. “I’m not worried because Lampard will score and he is working hard for the team, for me this is important,” he said.

Chelsea will be without suspended goalkeeper Petr Cech against Liverpool, who ended Chelsea’s 86-game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge in the corresponding fixture last season.

Cech admitted the display in Cyprus had given some cause for concern.

“We scored a great goal and until the end of the first half we did well,” the Czech international said. “Then in the second half we started quite well for five minutes and then there was a moment when we started losing balls cheaply.

“We allowed them to come back into the game and unfortunately after that it became more difficult for us because we lost possession so many times in areas that were dangerous for ourselves.

“We had to run a lot and chase the ball. It is not a good game when you chase the ball.

“In the end we had to fight hard to defend the lead. The positive part of it was that we knew how to do it. We went away with a 1-0 victory but of course the second-half performance is something we have to improve.”

Chelsea will welcome back Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa, both suspended against APOEL, for the clash with Liverpool.

Michael Ballack will also be fit after shaking off the calf problem which kept him out of the defeat at Wigan.