It has been a long wait for Chelsea fans to see Hakim Ziyech in competitive action.
The new signing made his debut in the friendly draw with Brighton & Hove Albion, however the Moroccan also picked up a knee injury in the process.
The 30-year-old has not featured for the Blues in their opening four Premier League games, or in the two Carabao Cup matches.
Despite being unable to play for Frank Lampard’s side yet, Ziyech was selected by his country for their international matches this week.
The winger was spotted in training with the national side with heavy strapping on his knee, a sight which would worry Lampard and Blues fans alike.
The Chelsea boss will be hoping that his new signing will return without any more issues, with Edouard Mendy already having picked up an injury while training with Senegal.
While Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Mendy and Ben Chilwell have started to make an impact with the first team, Ziyech is yet to make his presence felt.
But what kind of an impact could Ziyech make when he finally makes his competitive debut?
There is no doubt that the Blues have a wealth of talent when it comes to the wide areas.
Despite Willian and Pedro having left the club, the Blues worked hard to replace them.
What we have seen from Lampard this season is a preference to the 4-2-3-1 formation, with three of the four matches having started in that manner.
It gives the Blues boss more of a chance to use his attacking options in the way that he needs.
The only way the formation is successful is with a solid midfield partnership, and N’Golo Kante is the key to that.
But up front, there has been a combination of a few different players being used in the wide areas, with Mason Mount, Havertz, Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi used by the Blues boss.
Christian Pulisic has also come back into the side as a late substitute in the win over Crystal Palace, having recovered from his injury.
So for Ziyech there is certainly a battle for him to get a starting spot when he returns to the first team after the international duty.
There will only be a couple of positions that Ziyech will be able to feature in, either out on the left flank or down the middle.
Ziyech showed his left-foot ability in the pre-season game, with a wonderful pass to Hudson-Odoi for Werner to score.
That’s likely the way that Ziyech will be used in rotation with Hudson-Odoi, with the young England international having more pace and a different option.
Ziyech could play down the middle, but it’s less likely that he will get much of a chance, with Havertz making the role his own.
Lampard sees the Germany international as the man to play within the gaps and find the space, and is something that he wants to pursue.
Ziyech could play in a midfield three, but this is less likely and the right flank is where Lampard is planning on using the Moroccan.
It’s been a frustrating start to the campaign for the winger, having to wait for his chance to show what he can do.
But his wand of a left foot and passing ability has got Lampard and the Chelsea coaching staff excited about the added creative input that he will provide this season and beyond.
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