FRANK LAMPARD's Chelsea lost their fourth Premier League game in five after going down to Bournemouth at the weekend.
The honeymoon period is well and truly over for Super Frank, who tore into his young side after they were sunk by Dan Gosling's late strike.
And Chelsea could be set to exit the Champions League with one of the favourites to win the tournament – Bayern Munich – drawn to face the Blues in the Last 16.
Meanwhile, Olivier Giroud has been told by French national team boss Didier Deschamps to leave in January if he wants to make the Euro 2020 squad.
Follow all the latest transfer gossip and updates from the Bridge below…
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CESAR AZPILICUETA has issued a warning to his Chelsea teammates as they look to end their bad run of form against London rivals Spurs.
The Blues captain said: “We have to keep our heads up.
“The Christmas period is always a busy time and we have some important fixtures coming up, which we have to be ready for.
“We have to make sure we are ready, because there is a big game coming up, a derby against Tottenham next Sunday. Now is the time to think, to see what we didn’t do well and go with everything on Sunday because we need the points.”
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MARCO VAN GINKEL has revealed that he still hopes to kickstart his career at Chelsea.
The midfielder, , an £8million Blues buy in 2013, is back at Stamford Bridge following loans to AC Milan, Stoke and PSV Eindhoven.
He told NOS: “Quitting is not a word in my dictionary – but I have had plenty of annoying days behind me.
“I still feel like a Chelsea player. I'm at the club every day among the other players, and I know all the doctors and physios.
“You'll have to ask Frank Lampard if he sees me as an option for the future.
“But Chelsea have an option to extend my contract by two more seasons. Let's wait and see.
“My initial focus is on getting fit once more, and then we will look further ahead.”
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CHELSEA forgotten man Marco van Ginkel has revealed how his injury nightmare plunged him into depression.
He told NOS: “I played my final PSV games with knee pain. It got worse and worse, as our bodies aren't built to work without cruciates.
“Everything went well at first after I had surgery, but ill fate struck once more after three weeks.
“I was told I had a very serious and aggressive infection. I became ill, and my knee swelled up.
“The doctors didn't know what the matter was for two weeks. It turned out my new cruciate was damaged.
“I became depressed at that point, when I learnt that everything had to be taken out once more.
“I needed another operation, but didn't know when. My knee had to be cleaned out to remove the infection.
“So I underwent surgery three times in six days. You could say that was quite an event!
“Infections like that can end a player's entire career.
“In the end I recovered well from the clean-out, but then I had to wait five months before I could do anything football-wise.
“The months dragged on. I have come through a sombre spell.”
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CHELSEA have been drawn to face five-time Champions League winners Bayern Munich in the round of 16 matches.
The Blues will host the first leg at Stamford Bridge as a result of finishing runners-up in Group H in a repeat of the 2012 final.
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THE Champions League has reached its business end with all four English teams escaping their groups to make the last 16.
Chelsea were handed an extremely tough clash with La Liga champions Barcelona in SunSport's simulator after finishing runners-up to Valencia in Group H.
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