Olivier Giroud says he is not ready for a bench role at Chelsea and has vowed to win back his starting spot from Tammy Abraham. In terms of out-and-out strikers, Chelsea only have Giroud and Abraham as senior options this season and the latter has been given the nod, starting three of the four Premier League matches to date.
Making the most of the opportunities presented by manager Frank Lampard, the England international has scored a pair of braces – against Norwich City in a 3-2 win as well as in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United.
Despite his impressive early-season form, the 21-year-old, who scored 26 goals while on loan at Aston Villa last term, was left out of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.
With Giroud playing just 100 minutes of PL football this season, recent reports have suggested he will look to leave Stamford Bridge when his contract expires in the summer of 2020.
The Frenchman, who only scored two league goals last season under then-manager Maurizio Sarri, admitted he would be interested in a move to the MLS if the opportunity arose.
However, the 32-year-old, who joined the Blues in January 2018 after a five-and-a-half-year spell with Arsenal, has no plans to roll over quietly and he has sent a warning shot to Abraham, vowing to earn back his starting position for Chelsea this season. “Obviously not! I have goals in my head,” he told Le Figaro. “I’m here to help the new generation, but the retirement time has not come. I’m still hungry and have a lot of ambition. I don’t want to be Chelsea’s No.2 striker, for sure.”
Despite struggling for club opportunities, Giroud continues to be included in France’s squad and he was named as one of the 23 players for the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Albania and Andorra.
The striker has scored 35 goals from 90 international caps and was a key part of the Les Bleus’ side that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia, beating Croatia 4-2 in the final.
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