Graham Potter may have been expecting to work on Hakim Ziyech's future this week. The 29-year-old wasn't amongst the Chelsea players many would have had as favourites to qualify for the World Cup knockout stages, even fewer will have had him down in the last eight.
Morocco have shocked most people in this sense, even Ziyech's teammate Cesar Azpilicueta, who exited what will almost certainly be his last World Cup, if not his last international major tournament. Azpilicueta's Spain side were unable to get past Morocco, unable to score in normal time, extra time and only buried one penalty in the subsequent shootout.
It will be a liberating period too for Ziyech. A player that has been doubted and criticised for most of his last 18 months at Stamford Bridge, he will be enjoying the minutes in Qatar perhaps more than his fellow countrymen. When he returns to SW6, be it as a quarter finalist, semi-finalist, runner up or even a champion, attention will turn quickly to his Chelsea future, which isn't as much of a fun topic.
