It is games like those that are helping to develop a young player with much potential and although it remains to be seen if he will be in the side to take on Southampton in tonight’s cup-tie, his football education is continuing away from match action as well, as he tells us here.Sarr signed for Chelsea two summers ago when his contract at Nice in his homeland of France expired, and he spent last season on loan at Porto. Having been involved in Thomas Tuchel’s pre-season, he had to be patient to make his Stamford Bridge bow a month ago, but when it came it was an experience he relished.‘At the moment we are doing really well as a team and as soon as the coach put me in the squad and trusts me, I try to give it back, perform well and help the team to achieve our goal,’ Sarr begins.

‘The way Brentford play was more direct than Aston Villa. They were playing straight to try to find the striker, and they put the ball in the air and then fight for the second and third ball, but Aston Villa was a bit different.‘They were trying to find the solution by passing the ball and moving around and it is quite good for us to have different situations, so we can adapt ourselves and find solutions to defend well.’Sarr has plenty of experience of and feels comfortable playing on the left side of a back three, having been fielded there for Nice and at times for Porto. So far for Chelsea he has appeared in youthful defences, with Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah making up the rest of the three-man rearguard against Villa, and then with Chalobah also there at Brentford, at the age of 25 Andreas Christensen was the relatively old head.

‘I could feel that he [Christensen] has that experience and he knows what the manager is looking for and what we need as defenders and young players,’ notes Sarr. ‘He has been in that type of situation before so it is always helpful to have a player like that alongside.’Behind them at Brentford was Edouard Mendy who put in a man-of-the-match display. Sarr has known the goalie for a long time from their days together in France.‘I am not surprised about what is happening right now with Edou because he is a great player and he is working really hard every day so he gets what he deserves. You see that with the results on the pitch.‘He is loud behind the defenders and he can show that he is not happy. He is trying to help and guide you as much as he can and it is really good to feel that support behind you, feel that you have a goalkeeper who is ready for you.’

Also very ready to help Sarr has been Thiago Silva, even though they are yet to share a pitch for a Chelsea match. They joined the club at the same time from Ligue 1 and even when the youngster was on loan last season, Thiago was in touch. Though Sarr speaks very good English, when it comes to talking the finer points of football he appreciates being able to converse in his native tongue with the French-speaking Brazilian.‘Thiago is helpful because he really wants me to improve and he is showing me things every day. About defending he knows everything!’ Sarr smiles. ‘It is respect to him because he is 37 and he plays like he is 25.’

Tonight’s opponents Southampton do not lack for French speakers either. Defender Romain Perraud, who signed for the Saints in the summer and has made seven appearances, grew up with Sarr in the Nice academy. Ibrahima Diallo, who is in his second season there and has been taking the place of suspended midfielder James Ward-Prowse, and another defender Yan Valery represented France with Sarr in the junior age groups.

‘Last time we played against Southampton in the league, I saw them for a few minutes to speak about everything, how life is going here for me and for them in England, how they adapt themselves,’ Sarr says. ‘We were talking about how they are doing and how we are doing and just looking forward to playing this game.‘I hope I will play and play against them so we can have a good match-up.’