Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has denied having any involvement in the recent sacking of manager Frank Lampard.
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Rudiger, 27, was left on the sidelines for the majority of Chelsea’s matches under Lampard after featuring in just 35 matches in nearly two-years.
Since Lampard was relieved from his position as Chelsea’s head-coach, the German centre-back has already seen his playing-time increased under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
After being named in the Blues’ starting line-up for Tuchel’s opening two matches, Rudiger’s future now seems to be in London amid previous concerns he could be heading for the exit.
Under Lampard, Chelsea were enduring a notoriously difficult spell after struggling to string any kind of consistency together.
However, despite being a hugely popular figure at Stamford Bridge, there were suggestions some players, including Rudiger had a hand in the Englishman getting the boot.
Addressing those rumours, Rudiger has strongly denied he had any involvement. Speaking to The Athletic, the 27-year-old defender said: “There have been so many nonsense rumours about me since last week. I’ve never talked with the board about the situation of the coach or on any other topics.
“Frank Lampard trusted in my abilities after Christmas in a very difficult situation and I was thankful for this. It was also the main reason why I told my representatives not to look for a possible winter move anymore.
“Unfortunately, it was not meant to be for our team to turn things around for the coach. We always wanted the best for the manager and for the club.”
The Blues are currently preparing to take-on London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, and although team-mate Kai Havertz has been tipped to be dropped, fans can probably expect to see Rudiger back in action once again.