Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has questioned what good would come of Roman Abramovich sacking Jose Mourinho midway through the season.

The reigning Premier League champions are suffering a torrid campaign and find themselves just a point above the relegation zone after 16 games following Monday's 2-1 defeat to Leicester City.

Lampard acknowledged that Abramovich will be considering bringing an end to Mourinho's second stint in charge, but suggested that this season was already a lost cause and believes that he should stick with the long-term plan.

"He's probably looking at it very closely. Obviously we've been here before with Chelsea when managers change midway through the season," Lampard told Sky Sports News.

"I don't know how many times you can do that. We had some good results from doing it before but we had a different set of players at that point. But I have to say what they set out to do when Jose Mourinho came back was to have a long-term plan. What can they gain by getting rid of him now?

"They are probably not going to make the top four anyway or the top six. They're not going to get relegated I think if we are honest so I'm sure there's a view from Roman Abramovich to say, 'Hang on, let's see what happens at the end of the season'. Why make a rash change that can't really affect the year that much and then see where we are at the end of the year."

Chelsea have lost nine of their 16 league games so far this season.