Morgan Rogers
Morgan Rogers has been spectacular since signing for Chelsea(Image: Mike Hewitt)
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Part of the reason Chelsea were willing to spend so much, £117million, on Morgan Rogers over the summer was because club chiefs were confident the attacker would be ready to go from the off.
With two-and-a-half seasons of Premier League experience under his belt, Rogers was viewed as someone who could make an immediate impact to the Blues' attacking line. And, seven games into his Chelsea tenure, they have been proven right.
In five Premier League appearances for his new club, the £117m signing has scored three goals and recorded one assist. In the Carabao Cup, Rogers recorded a hat-trick of assists against Leeds United in a nine-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.
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Such form has taken Chelsea's attack to another level. Rogers, alongside Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro, have started the season in sensational fashion for the Blues, whose defence needs drastically improving if the west Londoners are going to be serious this term.
Rogers' seamless adaptation to life in the capital has proved bad news for the likes of Geovany Quenda and Jamie Gittens, whose minutes in the first team have been seriously restricted up until the first international break of the campaign.
For Gittens, the start of the season will prove even more frustrated as a loan move was blocked towards the end of the summer transfer window. AS Roma were desperate to sign the 22-year-old winger, who cost the Blues around £52m in the summer of 2025, on a season-long loan deal but Chelsea were only open to selling him.
In turn, the Blues blocked any loan offers for Gittens, who is now into his second season at Stamford Bridge.
Jamie Gittens
Jamie Gittens has not made a Premier League appearance for Chelsea this season(Image: Harvey Murphy/News Images/NurPhoto)
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There's no sugar coating it: Gittens' debut campaign was a disappointing one, both on a collective and individual level. Gittens was only able to show glimpses of his talent up until the end of January, which marked the conclusion of his first season.
A couple of hamstring injuries for Gittens means he missed the majority of the second half of 2025/26, but he got himself fit and ready for pre-season this summer.
It all started really well for Gittens. Goals in behind-closed-doors friendly wins over Crawley Town and Bromley, followed by another strike in the opening game of the pre-season tour against Western Sydney Wanderers.
There looked to be life in Gittens, but thus far, he has not had the opportunity to prove it this season under Xabi Alonso. His two appearances this term have come in the Carabao Cup.
The first being a 10-minute cameo in the 2-0 win over Luton Town on August 27, followed by a start in the next round against Leeds. However, Gittens was hooked at the half-time whistle with Alonso turning towards his senior stars to help Chelsea come from a goal down at Stamford Bridge.
Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer celebrate
Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer celebrate with Danny Welbeck(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
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The fact the substitutes came on and won the match for Chelsea perhaps didn't reflect too well on those who were brought off.
If Gittens continues to be an outcast, in terms of Alonso's Premier League plans, then there's nothing Chelsea or the winger can do about it until the January transfer window opens. By then, it might be a situation that is revisited.
Gittens will not be short of suitors, even if his minutes continue to be restricted between now and the New Year.