Lamps is seen as a Chelsea boss-in-waiting.
The Blues legend will be looking to cause an upset and lead his new Derby side into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, but there is an expectation he will eventually take charge at his old club.
Maurizio Sarri has turned Chelsea back into title contenders after arriving from Napoli this summer and there is hope he will have a long stay at the club.
But it is understood Lamps has impressed Blues owner Roman Abramovich since leaving West London in 2014.
And he should be in the frame down the line when there is a change of manager.
Lamps, 40, has steered Derby to sixth in the Championship in his rookie season as a boss, with the Rams just two points off second spot.
He also masterminded a shock shootout victory at Manchester United to set up tonight’s clash.
Lampard is set for a huge ovation at Stamford Bridge tonight for his record 211 goals for the club.
His spell at Manchester City after leaving Chelsea has not affected his standing with fans OR with the top brass who have been hugely impressed with the start of his managerial career.
The way he has treated their loan youngsters has also gone down well.
Lamps took Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori in the summer and has given them regular game time, with Mount getting an England call-up on the back of his superb performances.
Lampard revealed his ambition of managing Chelsea when he spoke to Sky Sports during his spell at New York City as a player in 2016.
He said: “If I was good enough, if it was right and if they wanted me and it was the right time . . . as a Chelsea man or not, the job there is one of the pinnacles of football, they are one of the top clubs in the world now. And I’m a Chelsea man.
“It might be a different route for me and might take a while but the dream would be to manage Chelsea one day.”
Lampard returned to Blues’ training HQ in Cobham, Surrey, while doing his badges and gaining coaching experience.
And getting back there permanently is now on the cards in the future.
But if he masterminds an upset tonight with County, it might not just be Chelsea who will be interested in his services in the years to come.
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