Cesar Azpilicueta responds to Antonio Rudiger rumours after Lampard's sacking

Cesar Azpilicueta and Tammy Abraham have rallied to the defence of Antonio Rudiger after reports claimed that the defender had caused unrest in the build up to Frank Lampard’s sacking at Chelsea.

Chelsea took the decision to sack Lampard on Monday following a poor run of results in which the team lost five out of their last eight Premier League matches.

Following Lampard’s departure, reports claimed that Rudiger and Azpilicueta had clashed in training, with the Spaniard keen to ease the tension around the squad.

It’s also understood that some of Chelsea’s younger members of the squad had also complained about the treatment they had received from disgruntled senior players.

In the wake of Lampard’s exit, Chelsea fans directed their anger towards Rudiger on social media, while the hashtag ‘RudigerOut’ had trended on Twitter.

But Tammy Abraham has hit back at the accusations direct towards his Chelsea teammate as he posted on Twitter on Tuesday evening: ‘Hearing some mad stuff about @ToniRuediger on social media today. Compete nonsense. Toni is a big bro to all of us.’

Azpilicueta then followed up Abraham’s message of support with a picture of himself celebrating alongside Rudiger.

The 27-year-old had been one of the senior players who had been frozen out by Lampard this season.

The centre-back, who has started just four games in the Premier League this season, had the opportunity to leave Stamford Bridge last summer but wanted to stay and fight for his place.

Meanwhile, new head coach Thomas Tuchel took his first training session with Chelsea’s first-team squad of Tuesday evening.

The 47-year-old will be in the dugout for Chelsea’s Premier League clash with Wolves on Wednesday.

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