The Danish defender flew to Milan in the week to have a protective mask fitted and he was able to take his place at the heart of a back three yesterday, alongside captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Toni Rudiger.

‘The nose is good, it’s as comfortable as it can be when wearing the mask,’ said Andreas. ‘I’m just glad I was able to play and do my part for the team.’

The switch to a back three paid dividends for Frank Lampard’s side, as goals from two players recalled to the starting line-up – Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso – secured a 2-1 victory over Jose Mourinho’s side, despite a late own goal from Toni Rudiger setting up a nervy finish.

In truth, the Blues could and perhaps should have scored more goals. Alonso hit the bar with a free-kick, while Mason Mount and Ross Barkley both forced Hugo Lloris into smart stops.

In the end, it didn’t matter as the Blues saw out the game and Andreas was pleased with the overall performance and hailed the win as an ‘important three points’.

‘I thought we played brilliantly,’ added the Dane. ‘It was a very strong performance and it is something for us to build on now.

‘The only downside to the whole performance was conceding near to the end, which made it a little more nervy than it probably should have been, because we were in control throughout the game.

‘But we showed good concentration and stayed professional to the end to see the game out and secure a big three points in front of our fans.'

‘The win was so important because we’ve opened up a little bit of a gap again. We want to be up there, pushing up towards third place and beyond and that’s our goal.

‘It’s a good win for us and sets us up nicely ahead of a big game on Tuesday against Bayern Munich.

‘It’s an exciting game for us, a tough game of course, but one we are looking forward to. I spent two years in Germany at Borussia Monchengladbach, so I know all about Bayern and just how tough they can be. Yet at the same time we are a good team and it will be tough for Bayern.’