Billy Gilmour made a second half appearance off the bench for Chelsea yesterday, in a game which surely only moved him closer towards earning back his starting role in the team.
We already know that manager Frank Lampard is a big fan of the young midfielder, but his minutes on the pitch since returning from injury a month ago have been few and far between.
The putrid run of form Chelsea are in means that emergency measures may soon be necessary however, and putting Gilmour into the starting XI is one of the few cards Lampard has left to play.
We saw a similar move a little under a year ago, when the Blues boss used the introduction of the Scot to add spark to the team when Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic were really struggling. A repeat of that move can’t be far off now.
Gilmour is still a rough diamond, but when the first and second options in his position are struggling so badly, there’ little to be lost by throwing a hungry youngster into the mix, even if they do lack the experience and nous of their colleagues.
Expect him to start against Morecambe in the FA Cup this weekend, and if that all goes well, he should be in serious contention to start in the Premier League the following weekend.