Good news from the treatment room at Cobham has been few and far between for Mauricio Pochettino this season, as Chelsea have been forced to contend with a lengthy injury list throughout our campaign.

There was a rare respite this week, tough, when Trevoh Chalobah was named in the starting line-up for the first time in 2023/24 when we defeated Leeds United in the FA Cup fifth round at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening.

That left Pochettino delighted, both on a personal level for the player himself, and as a coach at the prospect of having the defender available for selection again, underlined by Chalobah’s strong performance in the 3-2 win.

‘We are so happy because he was suffering,’ said Pochettino. ‘He was really fit in pre-season and he was playing the most until in Washington, against Fulham, he felt something in his quad. Then started the torture because it was one thing after another.

‘After eight months he had the possibility to play, to help the team. I am so happy for him because he was sad during a long period when he was injured. It is the same now with Romeo Lavia or Wesley Fofana, you feel pain for these guys.

‘Now with Trevoh having the possibility to play - and play in the way that he played because he was really good against Leeds - I am so happy for him and we are happy that he can help the team again.’

That 3-2 FA Cup victory at the Bridge also saw Mykhailo Mudryk starting in a new role, playing as a No10 behind lone striker Nicolas Jackson, with Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke on the flanks in an attacking line-up for the Blues, and Pochettino explained the thinking behind the Ukrainian's switch.

‘I think it was a good opportunity with four offensive players, having Noni, Raheem and Nico with him, to help him to be involved in the game and be more connected. I was happy with how it went.

‘He finished the game on the left side, but it’s good for him to have different opportunities to feel the game and to help him to be connected with the team.

‘I think it was a position that forced him to be more involved and read the game in a different way than when he plays on the left side.’

It is not just Mudryk who has had an important week in terms of development, though. There have been mixed emotions in the Chelsea camp, with the late extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final followed by a 90th-minute winner in the FA Cup against old rivals Leeds.

Pochettino has found out more about how his players handle and respond to setbacks, but more importantly he believes the players have been learning plenty about themselves and each other during this period.

‘We met after the final in a different place, not Wembley, and the players started to feel the good experience. In some points it was disappointing and painful, but on the other side to find the passion to play again.

‘When we spoke on Monday and Tuesday they were very open and very committed. All the players available wanted to play against Leeds, even if some of them were really tired with some problems. That speaks very highly of our squad.

‘More than us learning about them it is that they are learning to compete all together and feel each other and know how they behave at this level, when it is a final and with not too much experience.

‘They start to understand each other and that is the most important thing because after eight months already we know the profile of the player and how they can behave. But of course it is important between them, for them to know each other and how they are going to react at this level with high pressure and high stress, like it is to deal with a cup final.’

Following on from the dramatic win over Leeds, hopefully that will help the Blues to make it back-to-back victories when we travel to Brentford in the Premier League tomorrow afternoon.