Chelsea new-boy Danny Drinkwater finally made his Blues debut on Wednesday night in the league cup clash against Everton, but it was an agonising wait for the midfielder.

The former Manchester United academy product joined Chelsea from Leicester on deadline day for a fee of £35m, but has failed to make a single appearance due to a calf injury he sustained.

But despite saying his start to life at Chelsea ‘could not have gone any worse’, Drinkwater is looking onwards and upwards as he has finally made his first appearance.

“I don’t think [the last few months] could have gone any worse,” Drinkwater told Chelsea TV after the game against Everton.

“I have been trying to take the positives out of it. My calf feels good now but I was massively frustrated. The waiting game was killing me.

“It’s been good to watch the team and it has helped me to settle in as well. It has given me a feel for how they actually play. But the sooner I can get more involved now, the better for me.”

Manager Antonio Conte could’ve very easily done without the injury, especially with the amount of injuries he’s had in the area of the field. The Italian admits there is room for improvement with the midfielder, and took a risk by starting him.

“I think he has a lot of room for improvement,” Conte said.

“I preferred to give him the opportunity to play from the start because he needs to play, to find the right tempo and rhythm of the game.

“I knew I could risk something by playing him, but I think it was very positive for him to start the game and to know that now I can count on him for part of the next games.

“Maybe he will be 100 per cent fit after the international break, but we must have patience. We are also recovering N’Golo very well and this is good news for our midfield.”
[Quotes sourced from Metro]