Frank Lampard has backed John Terry to bounce back from his early season slump as, for the first time under Jose Mourinho, he finds himself no longer a regular starter.
The former England captain, barring a red card against Tottenham in 2006, had played every minute he had been available in the Premier League for Jose Mourinho's side until he was taken off at half-time in the 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
Terry has been on the bench for the past two games against Arsenal and Maccabi Tel Aviv but will make his 650th start for Chelsea in the League Cup tie at Walsall tonight.
The 34-year-old, though, has been backed to return to a regular starting berth in the Premier League by his former team-mate for club and country.
Lampard told ESPN: "I think John can carry on for years. I've been through it, everyone goes through it as you get into your 30s.
“The minute you turn 30, everyone starts to speculate how much you've got left. So the minute you don't play well, people start to talk about it.
"But I know John's attitude and I know his quality. I think he's 34 years of age and the way he plays, how quick his mind is at his position, I see him being an important part of Chelsea for a few years to come."
It's fair to say Terry's is nearer to the end of his time as a Chelsea player than the beginning but Lampard believes the finale can still be some away away.
"I know John feels Chelsea like I did when I was there," the club's record goalscorer said. "John is an emblem of the club so I think fans always relate to him being there, he's a huge part of the success we've had over the last 10 or 12 years. So I'd like to see him carry on there but again, it's not my decision."
