Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp thinks Chelsea manager Frank Lampard should consider dropping Mason Mount in order to give the 20-year-old a rest.

The TV pundit believes taking the England international out of the firing line could be beneficial, as it also helped when Graeme Souness took him out of the team at the start of his Liverpool career:

“When it comes to Mount, I wonder if he could benefit from a break. I remember when I was 19, I’d broken into the Liverpool team but was going through a rough patch. Graeme Souness was my manager at the time and he pulled me to one side at the training ground. He told me he was going to leave me out. I was fuming.”

“I told him I wanted to play. What young footballer wouldn’t? I saw being dropped as an insult! But Graeme told me, calm as you like, ‘Listen, you need a break. You’ve had a lot of games’. I was upset but deep down I understood he was doing it for my benefit.”

“I had my break, recharged the batteries and came back raring to go. So maybe that could help Mount, too. He may disagree – like I did when Graeme told me he was taking me out of the team – but his manager will know what is best for him.”

Mount’s form has certainly dropped since the start of the campaign, having scored just once in his last 14 appearances. He has started 16 of the Blues’ 17 league games, although he has been rested more in European and cup competitions.

However, the absence of both Ross Barkley and Ruben Loftus-Cheek does mean Lampard has limited options to replace Mount. The midfield trio of Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho has proven effective this season but it doesn’t provide the goal threat which is needed.

It will be interesting to see whether Mount features in the starting line up when Chelsea face Tottenham next weekend.