Giroud warns Lampard he’s not happy being Chelsea’s second striker behind Abraham after scoring against Albania
OLIVIER GIROUD has warned Chelsea boss Frank Lampard he does not want to play second fiddle to Tammy Abraham this season.
The Frenchman was on target for his country in their 4-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Albania on Saturday night.
Giroud, 32, has started just one of four league matches this season with Lampard preferring his understudy.
Abraham, 21, endured a difficult start to the campaign but has scored four in his last two outings to cement his role as the club's current first choice striker.
But it threatens to cause some unrest in the dressing room because Giroud does not want to be warming the substitute bench.
Speaking on international duty, he quashed any retirement talk and told Le Figaro: "Obviously not, I have goals in my head.
"I'm here to help the new generation, but the retirement time has not come. I'm still hungry and have a lot of ambition.
"I don't just want to be Chelsea's No 2 striker, for sure.
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"Just because I'm here as an older brother for young people, it doesn't mean I'm out on the sidelines."
Lampard may be tempted to hand Giroud another opportunity with a gruelling run of fixtures following the international break.
A visit to Wolves is followed by a Champions League contest with Valencia before a league fixture with Liverpool.
