Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech believes it is conceivable Frank Lampard will still be at Stamford Bridge next season after all.
It appears the long-serving midfielder is on his way out of the club he joined from West Ham in the summer of 2001, with Chelsea unwilling to offer him a new contract.
But Cech said: "There are still six months to go until the end of the season so we will see whether he stays or not. I'm not a director but if he keeps playing like that he will keep asking about the extension."
If Lampard does leave Chelsea in the summer it seems increasingly likely he will do so as the club's all-time leading goalscorer.
The England midfielder increased his tally to 194 with a penalty in Saturday's 4-0 victory over Stoke, moving him clear of Kerry Dixon in second place and only eight behind record-holder Bobby Tambling.
Cech said: "The team has changed, his age has changed, but he's still important for the team. He might not start every game or play every game but when he plays he plays well with his quality and experience, so this is something that is great to see.
"I've known him for a long time and he's been a fantastic player for the club, and he continues to be so."
Chelsea interim boss Rafael Benitez appears to have no say in the decision, and insisted on Sunday that the uncertainty is not causing a problem.
"I have talked about this 100 times now," said the Spaniard. "He's under contract, he's a good player. He has to keep performing and he's fine. I think it's not an issue at the moment."
