Lampard faces three-week lay-off

By Alistair Magowan

Lampard (right) tore his left thigh muscle in Doha

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will be out for three weeks after tearing a muscle in his left thigh while on England duty, the club have confirmed.

Lampard flew to Doha to prepare for England's match against Brazil on Saturday but then returned home after picking up the injury while training.

Following a medical assessment, Chelsea denied reports the injury was because of a cramped plane journey to Qatar.

And a spokesman also told BBC Sport they would not pursue compensation.

Reports had suggested that Chelsea may seek to bill the Football Association as a result of Lampard's injury.

England boss Fabio Capello said on Friday that the plane used for the trip to Qatar was one that had been flown to some other England away matches.

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Nonetheless, Lampard's problem will be a cause of concern for Chelsea fans as the 31-year-old has suffered similar injuries in recent seasons.

He missed the festive period in the 2007-08 season when he tore his right thigh muscle, having previously had a problem with the left thigh earlier in the year.

"The midfielder reported back at Cobham [Friday] morning having flown back from the Middle East," said a club statement.

"The Chelsea medical department's initial impression is that he may take approximately three weeks to recover."

Chelsea host Wolves a week on Saturday, and then have a trip to Porto in the Champions League before they face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday 29 November.

The tricky match at Manchester City on 5 December could represent a target date for Lampard to return to action.