Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud wasn’t even on the bench for the Blues’ FA Cup clash against Hull City earlier today, according to a report from Italian media outlet FcInterNews.
The report details how coach Frank Lampard preferred to play 26-year-old Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi instead of the 33-year-old Frenchman, who seems destined to leave the West London club this month. Inter have been looking to sign Giroud for the last couple of months, with coach Antonio Conte clearly appreciating the qualities of the World Cup winner.
Giroud has struggled to find playing time so far this season under Lampard, in part due to the emergence of young talent Tammy Abraham. The Frenchman has made seven appearances across all competitions for a total of 282 minutes. In that time, he has scored one goal, against Liverpool in the UEFA Super Cup back in August. He has failed to feature in the match day squad in the league since the start of December.
