Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has hit back at Jose Mourinho’s criticism of youngsters Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount.
Chelsea began their Premier League campaign with a 4-0 thrashing at Manchester United, with the club’s former boss Mourinho critical of Frank Lampard’s inexperienced line-up.
Mourinho singled out 20-year-old debutant Mason Mount and fellow youngster Tammy Abraham for criticism, and feels Chelsea manager Frank Lampard should have gone with experience ahead of a testing trip to Old Trafford.
Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta has defended the duo following the defeat, and says the club ‘trust’ both players to deliver in the first-team this season.
🗣 A reminder why Frank Lampard could be the perfect man to manage #Chelsea 🎧pic.twitter.com/pjhyAqnqna
— The Football Faithful (@FootyFaithful_) June 25, 2019
“If they are here it is because they deserve to be,” said Azpilicueta. “They are fighting in every training session. We trust in them.
“All the boys, they train to play for the Chelsea first team since they were young and now we have a massive opportunity to create a fantastic group, to learn from every game.
“Obviously everyone would like to start in a better way but we have to face the reality and become stronger from it.”
The south London outfit face Liverpool this Wednesday in an all-Premier League Uefa Super Cup meeting between the Champions League and Europa League winners.
Read: Lampard hits back at Mourinho over team selection criticism