'We want the best for Drinkwater' - Lampard believes playing time will cure midfielder's problems

Danny Drinkwater has been urged to get his career back on track by Frank Lampard after his summer loan move from Chelsea to their opponents Burnley.

The 29-year-old has still only made one appearance since moving on loan after being attacked in a Manchester nightclub where he suffered facial and ankle injuries.

Lampard says that Drinkwater doing well is good for everybody involved in his loan move but that he also wants to see the midfielder back on track after working with him in pre-season.

“In pre-season I worked hard with Drinkwater and I think formed a pretty good relationship," Lampard told reporters at Cobham Training Centre. "As a manager, I have a duty of care. I get on well with Drinkwater. I like to work with all the players.

"He has obviously had a tough time here with his career because he has not played like he wants to play, particularly last season. My idea was to be honest with him up front, where we were, where he was, in terms of selection and pecking order. 

"We want the best for Drinkwater. The decision, in the end, came for him to go to Burnley. Whats happened up there I have not got huge control over, albeit I have made contact with him. And then he has been injured.

"We want him to go there and do well. Everyone’s approaching it with the right idea trying to do it right and to be fair it’s now up to Drinkwater himself, to really get his head down and train and work hard because he is our player at the end of the day.

“I would not get into that [if he has off-field problems] I will focus on the football. The problem, in all honesty, is that he has not played for two years wants to play competitive football and I think it will solve the problems, particularly the ones we see on the pitch.”

Sean Dyche has since confirmed that Drinkwater is due back in training next week and he will hope he can make an impact with his loan deal currently set to end in January. Burnley and Chelsea will re-enter talks ahead of the expiration date to make plans with what to do with their squads.

Drinkwater's problems come after he failed to make a single competitive season last season in west London. This came after signing for Chelsea in 2017 for £35 million from Leicester City and he has managed just 23 appearances since his move.