Frank Lampard fourth choice at Chelsea?

The arrival of Brazilian international Oscar has changed the dimension of Chelsea's midfield.

But before he takes his mantle as the 'future' of Chelsea, Frank Lampard - a hero of recent 'past' may have his say in the present just yet.

We ran a poll on HITC Sport yesterday asking Chelsea fans to select their preferred midfield combination next season, with Chelsea expected to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The chosen pairing is an all Brazilian one, of Ramires and Oscar.

Dare we say it, but fans have picked wisely. The blend of steel, creativity, and hard work could just be the perfect balance and platform for the Blues attack.

Third choice was Jon Obi Mikel, who greatly improved at the end of last season.

Lampard came in fourth, with Oriol Romeu and Raul Meireles fifth and sixth respectively.

The midfielder who was once undroppable clearly has a big challenge on his hands. Of course he will get his chances, Oscar will have to be eased into life at Stamford Bridge, and the experience of Lampard will still be vital to Chelsea's young team.

One aspect of the poll we should address, is we mistakenly left out the option of Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien. It has been reported that Chelsea are open to offers for the midfielder, and he could well be outgoing, but it was an oversight on our part.

So where would Essien fit into the 'pecking order' - could he even push Lampard down to fifth choice in the eyes of supporters?

Let us know your views on Essien's future at the club - And is fourth choice an accurate reflection of Lampard's current standing?

image: © Ben Sutherland