FRANK FRUSTRATIONS

Frank Lampard has spoken in detail for the first time about the injury that has kept him out for the majority of the season and from which he has happily now returned.
Following the scoring of two goals against Ipswich on Sunday, the vice-captain revealed a tendon is no longer attached to bone at the top of his leg but insisted the scenario was not a problem. It just means more work is needed to stay match fit.
'I will try to keep that leg strong because I have a weakness there. My tendon came off the bone and it doesn't go back, you just have to stay very strong in the area,' explained Lampard. Tendon attaches muscle to bone and enables the movement of joints. The injury occurred in training as he was recovering from a hernia operation.
'I know other players who have had the same problem; they know the frustrations of it, the aftermath and what you have to do, which has helped.
'It's not a problem you just have to do an extra two or three sessions in the gym every week to keep it strong.'
The longest Lampard was previously sidelined for Chelsea was in the 2007/08 season. He was out for two five-week spells with separate thigh strains. This bout of injury has seen him miss three-and-a-half months.
It's been a frustrating time for someone used to playing week in week out.
'It was a bad injury. I was expecting it to be a few weeks and then I went to see someone who told me it was a three-month injury.
'It wasn't misdiagnosed, it was more my fault because I try and push. With hindsight I would have done a lot more resting when I first did the injury but I was trying to push to be fit for games when really I just had to wait for my body to naturally heal.
'Once I had my head round that it was easier to take but when people are asking you if you're going to be back every week and you're not, it becomes even more frustrating.
'It's always frustrating not being part of the team, not travelling with the team and being at Cobham on your own, but I came to terms with it in the end once I realised the injury was bad.'
Now Lampard's relishing first-team action once more and knows if he plays in the coming games, his leg will only get stronger.
There's also another benefit. Having missed the first half of the campaign, he had a hard-earned rest following a summer of World Cup action. Now the second half of the season is underway, Lampard is ready and raring to go, and honing his match fitness can mean only good for the Blues.
'There's a chance to keep working on it and building the strength up and hopefully now I'll have plenty in the tank for the rest of the season,' he added.