Frank Lampard has praised Chelsea midfielder Jorginho's professionalism.
The Italy international had been a regular in the Blues team up until serving the first of a two-game suspension prior to English football being suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Having missed the win over Everton as well as the victory against Aston Villa in the first game back, it was assumed that Jorginho would reclaim his starting berth as soon as his suspension was over.
However, that's not been the case.
The 28-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Juventus where he'd be reunited with ex-Blues head coach Maurizio Sarri, was an unused substitute in subsequent games against Manchester City, Leicester City, West Ham United and Watford.
Jorginho's long-awaited return to first-team action came earlier in the week he played the final 10 minutes of the 3-2 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Now with Billy Gilmour ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing a knee operation and N'Golo Kante not fit, Jorginho could be in line to start his first game since the restart against Sheffield United on Saturday.
And Lampard has praised the attitude of his vice-captain during a difficult period.
"I am very pleased and it is what I expect of players at the club," Lampard said in his pre-match press conference. "There is no way you go through a season without moments, moments possibly out of the team, moments that are difficult individually and you have to have toughness as a squad collectively and individually.
"Hence why I made the move to make him vice-captain when I came in because I saw that in his personality.
"I thought he did well when he came on the other day, it was exactly what I wanted from him at that stage of the game. To take control, to drive on with his quality of pass, which he has done for a huge part of this season for us.
"So yeah, I was very pleased with him."
