Callum Hudson-Odoi has been told he will have to 'force his way' into the Chelsea side in a similar fashion to Tammy Abraham.
Despite being one of the club's and England's most exciting prospects, Hudson-Odoi has endured a difficult year. A ruptured Achilles saw him miss the start of last season and he has struggled with various niggles since.
His lack of fitness has seen him drop in and out of the side and he has understandably dropped down the pecking order due to the form of Christian Pulisic as well as the summer arrivals of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech.
The winger has started just four games this season, with half of those coming in the Carabao Cup, but he has been handed an opportunity to impress by Frank Lampard in Tuesday's Champions League encounter with Rennes.
BT Sport pundit Peter Crouch believes Hudson-Odoi will need to emulate teammate Abraham to force his way back into the side, starting in France.
"Listen, he exploded onto the scene, didn’t he?" he said. "There was a lot of talk about him moving away, but Chelsea tied him down to a big contract and I think for whatever reason, he seems to have lost his way a tiny bit.
"But I think that this season, he’s getting it back. Chelsea have signed some big, big players, and he’s gonna have his work cut out to get into this side, but I was watching him for the U21s, he played really well.
"He’s had a couple of good spells off the bench, and he’s gonna have to force his way into this side - much like the way Abraham has.”
Former Chelsea man Joe Cole echoed those thoughts and believes he has seen improvements in Hudson-Odoi.
"That’s the way it’s gonna be. When you’re at a big club, big players are gonna come through the door," he said.
"Ziyech has come in and Havertz has come in, they’re putting pressure on him. With Callum, he had the Achilles injury, and with that sort of injury, it takes time - especially if you’re a player who relies on speed. I can see the improvements, though, he was fantastic for England under-21s in the week, but he’s way beyond that level.
"If I was coaching him, I’d give him that patience, but also try to give him that sort of motivation. Look at Havertz, Germany’s number 10, look at Werner, those sort of players. You’ve got to get to that level to play at Chelsea. He’s a fantastic lad - he works hard - and he’s part of that fantastic academy that’s come through.”
