There were a few eyebrows raised when Ross Barkley was named in Chelsea’s starting XI for their match against Burnley last weekend.
Although the result was disappointing, Barkley again showed ingenuity and a desire to make things happen, particularly in the absence of Mason Mount.
That start was reward for hard work on the training ground and a few useful cameos off the bench in recent weeks, which is surprisng for a player Chelsea probably would have let go for the right offer in summer.
The Athletic’s Simon Johnson has more on why Chelsea should Barkley around for the forseeable future.
GO FURTHER
Chelsea should reject January bids for Barkley – he’s starting to show form