Chelsea given FA Cup final boost with return of Kante and Willian

VIDEO SHOWS: NEWS CONFERENCE WITH CHELSEA MANAGER FRANK LAMPARD AHEAD OF FA CUP FINAL

SHOWS: STOKE D'ABERNON, ENGLAND, UK (JULY 31, 2020) (CHELSEA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, INJURY NEWS, SAYING:

"N'Golo Kante and Willian are in the squad, so we'll see if they're fit to be in the starting eleven. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has got a small problem he picked up yesterday, so he's out of the game."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON WINNING THE FA CUP, SAYING:

"When you get to a final you want to win it. Simple as that and in this stage in my career, my first year here at Chelsea, then of course, I'd love to do that, as you would anytime really, but as a pretty early start for me I suppose I would do. I mean, it's going to be difficult. It's a difficult game in front of us. Many a great manager over a periods of time have not been able to win things, so I want to lean everything on it, but now we're here in the final, of course, I want to win it. Predominately for the club and for the players for the work they've put in through the year."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON FA CUP FINAL, SAYING:

"You know a cup final, no matter the different circumstances surrounding it, we're pretty much getting a bit used to the new normal, not too used to it, but a little bit used to it. But the fact remains that the FA Cup is a huge cup that we want try and win and we have a very tough match against London derby rival."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON FA CUP FINAL WITHOUT FANS, SAYING:

"It will be strange to have you know, no fans. We are getting used to it and it's not to say we like it, because we want the fans back, but we have to respect currently circumstances, particularly with what's happening in the last few days and respect in everything that we do. So, it is what it is as such in the moment. We are, the fact that we're used to it means that you can focus on the important things, which is us going up against a very good team trying to win a football match. It sounds very simplistic, but that is what it is and taken the fans away kind of actually puts a bit of a microscope on that for us. It should do, but if you do win then the FA Cup title can stay with you forever as an individual if you win it. So, we can't be short on how important it remains with or without fans and we have to focus on how we approach the game."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON IF WINNING THE FA CUP WOULD PUT THEM BACK AS LEAGUE TITLE CONTENDERS NEXT YEAR, SAYING:

"A good club, a top club will compete for cups and titles, league titles pretty much every year. We did it for a long time. At the moment we, in the last few years, we haven't been able to fight for that league title, so, this will not mean all of a sudden we're back and in that picture (of competing for league titles if we win the FA Cup), but it can be a nice small, small step when you consider where we want to get to next year."

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA MANAGER, FRANK LAMPARD, ON MIKEL ARTETA SAYING:

"In terms of Arteta, I think he's done a really, really good job since he's been at Arsenal in a short space of time. I know that feeling, you're trying to lay down messages. You know, repeat and repeat and try and drill things home and make relationships and see where you want the club to be taken forward and from the outside, and it's always different from the inside I particularly know that, but from the outside, I've got big respect for the way he's done his job."

STORY: Chelsea's influential duo N'Golo Kante and Willian have recovered from injuries and are back in contention for Saturday's (August 1) FA Cup final against Arsenal, manager Frank Lampard said as he looks to win his first trophy as a manager.

Kante has missed Chelsea's last six matches in all competitions due to a hamstring injury while Willian sat out their crucial Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers that ensured the club qualified for the Champions League.

"Kante and Willian are in the squad and we will see if they are fit enough to be involved in the starting 11," Lampard, who took charge of Chelsea in July last year, told reporters in a virtual news conference on Friday (July 31).

The result arguably means more to Arsenal, who need to win to qualify for the Europa League, but Lampard said Chelsea would not take their foot off the gas having already sealed Champions League qualification.

Lampard will be pitted against another young manager in Mikel Arteta -- whose Arsenal side beat Manchester City to reach the final -- and the Chelsea boss said he was impressed with what the Spaniard had achieved in a short time.

Lampard also added that despite his side getting used to the 'new normal', they still desperately wanted their fans back in stadiums.

(Production: Stefan Haskins)