Rafael Benitez has challenged Frank Lampard to prove he is worth a new contract at Chelsea by excelling on the pitch.
Lampard signed for Chelsea in July 2001 for £11m from West Ham United and has gone on to make more than 570 appearances for the club, winning three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and last season's Champions League.
However, while once indispensable, an injury-hampered 2012 and the arrival of new midfielders such as Oscar has restricted his first-team opportunities this year and he is now no longer a mainstay of the side.
Keeping the faith
He returned the starting line-up as captain in Chelsea's last two outings, and Benitez has promised to keep showing faith in the veteran.
"He's an important player for us," he added. "He's a good player, he has quality, experience, he can help the team in the build-up and he can help the team scoring goals."
Benitez insisted uncertainty over Lampard's future has not affected his attitude or performances.
"I can see him working very hard in the training session, and working hard during the games, so, I don't see any difference," Benitez said.
Benitez also played down fears that John Terry's protracted recovery from knee surgery was a major cause for concern.
The Chelsea captain has been out since colliding with Luis Suarez during the 1-1 draw with Liverpool in November.
"We know it's an inflammation and it's a question of time that it goes down," Benitez said.
