Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard believes Wayne Rooney could be fired up for tonight’s Champions League clash following his brush with the footballing authorities.
Rooney is facing a two-match domestic ban after being charged with using offensive, insulting and/or abusive language while celebrating his hat-trick in Manchester United’s Premier League win over West Ham at the weekend.
And Lampard fears Rooney could take his anger out on Chelsea when the two teams meet in tonight’s first leg of their quarter-final showdown.
He said: “Wayne is always a very competitive player and there is never a good time to be playing against him.
“But there's a chance that the ban might spur him on even more. When you get negative headlines like he's had it can make you more of a threat.
“It's not for me to say if I was surprised by the charge. The FA have made their decision and I think United have accepted it.
“But Wayne is a fantastic player and he'll definitely be a threat against us.”