Andre Villas-Boas thinks that Frank Lampard needs to understand that he is not the only Chelsea player fighting for a first-team place.

The England international recently claimed that he couldn't comprehend why he is not a regular in the Blues' starting lineup.

While Villas-Boas realises the importance of Lampard in the Chelsea side, the former Porto boss thinks that every player must be "treated equally".

"I know how the headlines played out, and that was fair because the words came out of Frank's mouth," The Mirror quotes Villas-Boas as saying. "But there are plenty of players pushing for selection and Frank not the only one.

"People are making great efforts to get into this squad. Frank Lampard is one of top five most-used players in the squad but it is not possible for everyone to play every game.

"There is no hiding that Lamps represents the best in the history of this club. He and John Terry are nearer 600 appearances so they are are players of massive magnitude and represent Chelsea's success. But in our opinion every player must be treated equally and as fairly as possible. We make choices that can't please everybody."

The former Premier League champions will play Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Saturday.