Derry joined Chelsea last summer from Crystal Palace and has impressed during his debut season, including under McFarlane, who was in charge of our Under-21s earlier in the campaign.

Our interim head coach believes Derry is ready to make the step up this afternoon against Nottingham Forest, with the winger having already impressed in cameos against Hull City and Wrexham in the FA Cup.

‘It’s a great opportunity for Jesse,’ McFarlane opened, speaking before kick-off against Forest.

‘He’s trained with us a lot, he’s been in the squad, he’s played in other games, so we trust him. We know his talent, and I’ve worked with him previously. The boys trust him, and he’s trained really well, so we’re really excited for Jesse.’

Today’s squad also revealed that Garnacho and Neto miss out, with both having picked up knocks in training. Levi Colwill is back in the match-day group for the first time this campaign after having been sidelined with a knee injury since August.

Calum said on Neto and Garnacho: ‘It’s nothing serious. They both took knocks in training, so we’re just managing that.

‘We all know Levi’s quality. He’s a massive player for us. He’s been looking really good in training, so it’s great to have him back in the matchday squad.’