Blues wait on Lampard

Grant also looking for away goal on Tuesday night

Last updated: 21st April 2008

frank lampard chelsea

Lampard: May miss Anfield game

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Avram Grant is unsure whether Frank Lampard will be available for Chelsea's UEFA Champions League semi-final, first leg against Liverpool.

Lampard has missed the Blues' last two matches after the midfielder's mother was admitted to hospital with pneumonia.

Didier Drogba has also sat out the games against Wigan and Everton, while Michael Ballack was ruled out of the 1-0 win at Goodison Park last Thursday.

The trio are concerns for Tuesday's clash at Anfield, but Chelsea manager Grant understands Lampard's reasons for his current unavailability.

Very proud

"For me, football is very important, but there are things beyond football, family matters," Grant told the club's official website. "I hope it will be good for him.

"We miss him, we miss Ballack, we miss Didier, I think you saw what happened last year when we missed only two players. Imagine what would have happened if we played without Lampard too.

"I am very proud of this squad, how they behave and take points without key players."

Liverpool have beaten Chelsea in the semi-finals of the Champions League in two of the three previous seasons, winning 1-0 on aggregate in 2005 and prevailing on penalties 12 months ago.

Battle

Grant admires Reds boss Rafa Benitez's tactical acumen in the big matches and feels Chelsea need to score in the first leg on Merseyside.

He added: "I think results show it, he beat Chelsea twice [in the Champions League] when he was 20 points behind [in the Premier League], and in the semi-final of the FA Cup [in 2006].

"I know he knows how to play against big teams and I like him as a person and a manger, but we will give him a battle this time.

"First we need to score one goal away, it is always a target at this level to score away, because it is more than one goal, but the target is to win the two games."