Chelsea came out comfortable winners against Peterborough yesterday, with several young players impressing hugely.
Antonio Conte’s introduction of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nat Chalobah to the starting lineup earned praise from Chelsea fans who are always happy to see academy products in the team. Ola Aina played well as a late substitute too, to add to the feeling of hopefulness at Stamford Bridge. They will have to play more often before we know whether they are long term options for the first team, but they all look like they’ll play an important role as squad players at the very least in the years to come.
Chalobah looks polished enough to play regularly, and Lotus Cheek has all the tools to be a good player if a position can be found – or made for him. Aina, with a little more experience, will fit the right wing back role perfectly as backup to Victor Moses.
On a day when John Terry’s exit from the team long term looked more certain than ever, there is still home grown hope for Blues fans.