The skipper hasn’t featured since the opening day of the season because of a hamstring issue, a part of his body that has affected him in recent seasons, too.

However, Pochettino is hopeful the 23-year-old could feature at some point against Arsenal today and then stay healthy.

‘He’s much better,’ Pochettino said.

‘He’s doing well. He’s progressing. He’s still not at his best, not 100 per cent, but he’s close to being able to help the team at some point.

‘What we are going to do is trying to avoid these injury problems. We are building a very good strategy to get him to his best and then keep him fit.’

Another player who has benefited from a sustained run in the team is Mykhailo Mudryk. The Ukrainian scored his first Chelsea goal at the start of this month and starred for Ukraine in the international break just gone.

Mudryk will hope to start today against the club he was heavily linked with before joining Chelsea, and Pochettino details the steps forward taken on and off the pitch by our exciting winger.

‘We are so happy with him,’ enthused Pochettino on the eve of the Arsenal game.

‘He has changed a lot from the day we met for the first time. He’s a different person. We have started to see how lovely this guy is. He’s so sensitive. He’s so smart.

‘It’s important to give him confidence. And with trust, it’s the same in life. When people trust you, you can be open and express their talent, in this case in football.

‘Misha is doing really well in his relationship with the coaching staff, the medical staff, with the club. That is a massive improvement. It’s not just about how you move between the lines or how you shoot. That is part of his talent, but the most important thing is he can feel confident and happy when he plays football.’