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It hasn't been the perfect start for Jamie Gittens at Stamford Bridge since Chelsea signed the winger from Borussia Dortmund over the summer.
The Blues agreed a £55million total package deal with the Black and Yellow in the most recent transfer window, with Gittens penning a seven-year contract in SW6. Since signing that deal, the 21-year-old has featured seven times for Chelsea in all competitions but is yet to really get going.
While Gittens has remained direct in the way he plays; always looking to beat his man, his performances thus far have lacked the end product. Some supporters have been critical of the former Borussia Dortmund attacker, but there seems to be a general acceptance that he needs time to adapt to the Premier League.
In what is a boost for Chelsea and Gittens, the winger netted his first goal of the season on Friday for England Under-21s in their 4-0 victory over Moldova. Gittens gave Lee Carsley's Young Lions the lead on 27 minutes when he curled one into the bottom corner, in what was his first goal for England in five years, with his last strike coming for the Under-16 team in 2019.
Chelsea will be hoping Gittens can bring that sort of form back from international duty, with Enzo Maresca still looking for his first-choice left-sided winger. Alejandro Garnacho has been the man the head coach has called upon in the last two matches against Benfica and Liverpool, but the place in the side is very much still up for grabs.
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Maresca is happy with the progress from both Gittens and Garnacho in their early days at Stamford Bridge and the Blues boss believes they will continue to get "better and better". Speaking last month, Maresca said: "Yes, tonight we start with Garna, that probably was the first [Champions League or Premier League] game that he started.
"Ty [George] was the No.9, and we know that he's not a No.9. Facu [Buonanotte] played an important role tonight. That's why for me tonight it's a nice feeling that it was important to win for different reasons. Injuries and the players that they are new with us.
"Garna was very good. I think [Jamie] Gittens also, he tried in the last 20 minutes when he was on. Both are going to be better and better game after game."
Chelsea will make the trip to Nottingham Forest once the international break is over as the Blues look for their third successive victory in all competitions. Whether it is Gittens or Garnacho, or perhaps even Pedro Neto, on the left, the west Londoners go into the match at the City Ground as big favourites.
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