Jose Mourinho has heaped praise on Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the England Under-21s midfielder turned in a man of the match display in his first UEFA Champions League start.
The 19-year-old impressed at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea put their slow start to the domestic season out of their minds with a 4-0 win against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
And as Mourinho’s side began their European campaign in confident style, Loftus-Cheek was at the heart of the action throughout his 77 minutes on the pitch.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek celebrates with his Chelsea team-mates after Willian's opener
"I think he played very well which is very good for us," said Mourinho after the game.
"I think he is in condition to compete with the others for positions and minutes but he is having minutes.
"He played already in the Premier League this season, now in the Champions League. He's potentially a very good player."
Despite picking up a yellow card in the opening minute, the 19-year-old made his presence felt and offered a fruitful link between the centre-backs and the final third, setting the tempo for Chelsea.
Among those centre-backs was England’s Gary Cahill, captain for the evening, and he helped ensure the hosts’ defence was not breached.
Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas netted at the other end to give the Blues a resounding victory over their guests from Israel.
Theo Walcott's goal in Zagreb was not enough to prevent Arsenal falling to a 2-1 defeat
Elsewhere, Theo Walcott's goal was not enough to prevent Arsenal losing 2-1 to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.
The Gunners found themselves 2-0 down after an hour and were struggling to get a foothold in the game.
Walcott came on as part of a triple substitution midway through the second half, with England's Kieran Gibbs and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain both making way.
Walcott – who also scored against Stoke City on Saturday – pulled one back on 79 minutes, as he drove into the Dinamo area before opening up his body to slot home.
However, they were unable to find an equaliser and fell to their second successive opening day defeat in the Champions League.
In the Championship’s only tie of the evening, Charlie Austin’s search for a late winner ended in vain as QPR were held to a 2-2 draw by Blackburn Rovers at Loftus Road.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be aiming for a place in Gareth Southgate's Under-21s squad next month when they face Kazakhstan at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Tuesday 13 October. Tickets are on sale now - click here for more details.
