There were 38 minutes on the clock when Trevoh Chalobah stepped into the Chelsea defence during the Champions League clash against AC Milan at Stamford Bridge. The pressure on the academy graduate was huge; not only was the match a vital one for the Blues but it was a first-team opportunity Chalobah simply had to take.
The opening weeks of the campaign had been difficult for the centre-back. Chalobah had featured once under Thomas Tuchel and was an unused substitute in Graham Potter's opening two matches in charge. Something had to change if he was to see out the campaign at Chelsea, especially as interest from clubs around Europe remained strong.
It was Wesley Fofana's misfortune – the Frenchman suffered a knee injury against Milan – that opened the door for Chalobah. And he has played every minute since. Chelsea haven't conceded a goal in that time and four out of five matches have been won. A timely reminder has been sent by Chalobah to his doubters.
