Frank Lampard: Five Reasons Why England Needs The Chelsea Star Back

England had a comfortable win against Bulgaria last weekend when they started their Euro 2012 campaign in style with a 4-0 win over the Bulgarians.

The team recovering from its World Cup nightmare, and was without some of its star players and manager Fabio Capello was a worried man. But his team delivered an impressive performance as they easily cruised past the Lions.

One of the important players for the English team is its midfield maestro Frank Lampard, who has been ruled out of England's Euro qualifiers due to a hernia injury. The 32-year-old Chelsea star has been suffering from a hernia injury, and although treatment was given after the World Cup it seems the result has not been as expected. Lampard, who withdrew from both of England's qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland to do some corrective surgery, is expected to be fit for playing for the Blues' next weekend.

In this slideshow we will take a look into the five reasons why England needs its star midfielder back and running before the next round of qualifiers in a month's time.

England manager Fabio Capello may boast of a strong midfield in spite of missing Frank Lampard, but there is no denying the fact that Milner, Barry, Walcott, and Johnson cannot replace the extremely talented former Hammers' midfielder, who has made the central midfield his own.

In the match against Bulgaria, Capello used Gerrard in a central midfield role and the Liverpool captain blossomed to the delight of the team, and the fans as well. Manchester City's promising midfielder Adam Johnson showed enough promise after coming on for the in-form Theo Walcott. Barry and Milner also looked comfortable in their respective positions, and many might find it hard to fit Lampard onto the midfield.

But one needs to keep in mind the fact that England had faced Bulgaria, and the same performance cannot be expected against the other tougher opponents. Lampard brings that much needed stability into the midfield, while providing another dimension into the squad's attack.

The Chelsea central midfielder's incisive passes and superb through balls create plenty of chances for the strikers up front. With Rooney and Defoe at the fore of its attack, England can exploit Lampard for the benefit of the team.

Frank Lampard is known for his thunderous free-kicks or long shots that have brought numerous goals both for his club and nation.

He has the ability to create goals from out of the blue by a swing of his feet. He is also a set-piece as well as penalty specialist for his club. Though he has been having tough luck in converting his penalty kicks, in recent times there is no denying the fact that whenever a chance to take a penalty occurs he is the chosen one to take them, be it for the club or for his nation.

Lampard also has a good eye during free kicks. After David Beckham, he is the one who usually takes the set pieces for England, and has a good chance-to-goal conversion rate.

So though England might boast of players like Gerrard, Milner, Walcott, and others to take its free-kicks, they lack a free-kick or penalty specialist like Lampard. So Lampard is needed by the Englishmen in their quest for European glory one way or another.

Lampard has played more than 80 games in English colors and has found the net 20 times. He has been a regular on the national side since the veteran Paul Scholes retired in 2004.

Lampard has gathered a vast amount of experience over the years—both at club level and international level—and is one of the veteran players on the squad. His experience is very helpful, as the young players like Walcott, Adam Johnson, and Milner have enough to learn from Lampy, who is regarded as one of the best footballers in the modern game.

Moreover, England needs his vast experience to overcome tougher opponents in the latter stages of the tournament. Young players like Adam Johnson have been no doubt impressive, but they lack the experience needed to face bigger opponents, and Lampard has that in ample.

Lampard has had a superb season for the Blues' in the past season, and has been maintaining the same this year, too. He is Chelsea's main ball-provider with his clever moves, superb crosses, and sudden speed runs inside the opponent's box.

He has done the same for Capello's England too, and has earned good reviews for his performances. He is very comfortable playing in a central attacking role, creating chances for the team. He can make opponent defenders seem foolish with one turn of his legs or one smooth dribble.

His presence on the squad itself raises an extra amount of fear into the opponent's minds. They are extra wary of his presence. Milner, Barry, and the other youngsters are definitely good, but they fail to create the awe that Lampard's presence generates.

The opposition's defenses become extra careful with Lampard on the field, as he has the potential to baffle defenders in a matter of seconds with his superb pace, dribbles, and dangerous passes.

So Lampard's presence is required on the squad just to instill that fear into the opposition's mind, and create that extra bit of pressure.

The timing of the international break was perfect for Chelsea as it allowed its star midfielder to undergo surgery, and get sufficient recovery time before he took the field fully fit. But England coach Fabio Capello will be cursing his luck. Though his squad easily cruised through its first two qualifying fixtures, yet Capello knows that he cannot afford losing his dependable midfielder in the future.

Bulgaria and Switzerland were tough teams to beat no doubt, but England will face numerous tougher teams in its journey to be crowned European champions and Lampard's presence will be needed. So Capello will be hoping that his experienced midfield maestro gets fit quickly, and stays the same for the team's next fixtures.

A fit and running Lampard means a less worried Capello. So the Italian tactician will be hoping to have his ace player back in the squad when they go on their European adventure.