Today at Cobham, Ben Chilwell celebrated his birthday, and a Christmas feast was prepared for the players following training.

Chilly turned 27 today, and he continued his individual workout on the grass in Surrey on a windy morning. Mauricio Pochettino (above) and Mykhailo Mudryk were quick to embrace him before the team left.

Today’s practice was split between the grass and the gym, with the emphasis on rehabilitation for those who played against Newcastle on Tuesday.

Those who came off the bench made several important contributions in the game, not least our last-gasp goal scorer Mudryk. Here he is again trying for the goal.

Christopher Nkunku made his belated Chelsea debut for the final 25 minutes on Tuesday, also superbly hitting his spot in the subsequent shootout.

However, Pochettino has warned against expecting too much too quickly from the Frenchman.

‘Anyone can judge [a player] immediately, but the most essential thing is in what shape,’ he remarked.

‘The anticipation is to see the best Nkunku, but the difficulty is that we need time for him to produce as expected.

‘It’s one thing to be available; it’s another to perform as expected. That is why we will not place too much pressure on him. We will push him day by day to be at his best as quickly as feasible.’

Armando Broja, another Blues attacker, feels Tuesday’s stunning victory can jumpstart the Blues’ season.

‘Games like these demonstrate our team spirit, and we kept together and pushed hard to get the result at the conclusion of the game, which is the most important thing,’ the Albanian emphasized.

‘We’ve been playing some excellent football. So, ideally, we can keep moving forward and this result will lead to much more favorable outcomes.’

Pochettino is hoping for a boost from the imminent return of Romeo Lavia. The midfielder is still working hard to recover from his injury, and he was spotted out on the grass today.

After training, it was time for the usual Christmas lunch at Cobham, which provided another opportunity for the players to bond away from sport. The emphasis now shifts to obtaining an early Christmas present in the form of three points at Wolves.