Jorrel Hato lacked game time at the start of the season under Enzo Maresca. This is no surprise as he is competing with Marc Cucurella, who is arguably the best left-back in the Premier League.
Hato made eight appearances in all competitions with Maresca in charge, without scoring, but the Dutchman did make an assist against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup.
Now, with Marc Cucurella suspended due to his red card in Chelsea's defeat to Fulham, Hato got his opportunity against Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup. The left-back grasped this opportunity as he scored a sublime volley in a 5-1 victory.
This match was Liam Rosenior's first game in charge of Chelsea, so Hato has made a fantastic first impression.
Are Jorrel Hato's fortunes at Chelsea about to change?
Cucurella will be back from suspension when Chelsea take on Arsenal in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg this Wednesday. It will be difficult for Rosenior to drop Hato after his impressive performance against Charlton. However, Arsenal, who are the Premier League leaders, will offer a greater test than Charlton of the EFL Championship.
Rosenior has favored a 3-4-2-1 formation during his career as a manager so far, which has included spells at Derby County, Hull City, and Chelsea's sister club Strasbourg. It was too early for the manager to change the Blues' system against Charlton, as he went for the same 4-2-3-1 system as Maresca.
Eventually, we can expect Rosenior to start playing the formation that he likes. However, this will take time. Hato could become a key player in a 3-4-2-1, as he can play as a wing-back and also as a central defender.
The Netherlands international is only 19, but already has six caps for his country. He was signed from Ajax last summer. Hato had 111 appearances for the Dutch side, scoring four goals and providing nine assists.
Surprisingly, Hato did not win anything with Ajax. However, he will be expected to claim multiple pieces of silverware with the Blues.
Hato's potential is so high that we may not see the best of him at Chelsea. The Blues have a new philosophy of buying young players in the hope of selling them on. If Hato continues to play under Maresca, then there is no reason why he could not play for a giant such as Real Madrid.
The defender was linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world when he was at Ajax, including Los Blancos.