Saul Niguez could make his first Premier League appearance since October on Wednesday night when Chelsea face Watford.
The 27-year-old has only made two appearances in the league under Thomas Tuchel since arriving on Deadline Day from Atletico Madrid.
He made his league debut against Aston Villa but was stripped at half-time by Tuchel back in September. Saul then played a couple of minutes in the 3-0 win over Newcastle United on October 30.
Game time has been limited for the Spaniard but with N'Golo Kante (knee) and Mateo Kovacic (hamstring) ruled out of the trip to Watford, and Jorginho doubtful, Saul could be drafted in on Wednesday night.
Tuchel explained ahead of the game that Saul has needed time to adapt since making the switch to England. The Chelsea boss believes Saul is ready to play should he be called upon against the Hornets.
"I think every single player needs his time to adapt and Saul needed his time. He competes with a lot of high-quality players in midfield. We needed to understand him a bit better, not in terms of language, but in terms what is his real strength, the detail of the player, what can he add to the squad, where is his maybe unique quality and it was not easy.
"I guess it’s the first time he plays for another club than Atletico – he comes from the academy there – and we have to accept the style of the game is so different from Spain to here. It teaches us a lesson that everybody needs individual time to adapt and since many days he is stronger, I feel him a bit more relaxed and at the same time that gives him a little bit more freedom to impose his quality.
"He's very strong in finishing, in arriving in the box. In the moment, where we have injured players in the midfield, even Jorgi doubtful for tomorrow (Wednesday), it’s the moment for him to be ready. I have the feeling since many days that he is ready and can show what he wants to show."
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