The build-up to Chelsea's game with Tottenham this evening (Thursday) has been dominated by the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain, who moved to Stamford Bridge on loan for the rest of the season on Wednesday.

However, that shouldn't take away from the magnitude of the fixture. Indeed, given Chelsea's loss against Arsenal at the weekend, the Blues need to prove their worth as a team capable of challenging the best teams in England, whilst the prospect of a Carabao Cup final is also worth fighting for.

There's also something bigger at stake for the Blues, though, and it surrounds Callum Hudson-Odoi. The Englishman has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich as of late (as per the Sun), and he's evidently hesitant to commit his future to Chelsea without regular game time.

It's so important, then, that he gets his chance against Spurs tonight. He started Chelsea's last game against the Lilywhites, and he looked good. He impressed down the flanks for Chelsea going forward, and he was arguably one of the better players on the pitch.

Context is also important here, and given the poor form of Willian - and the fact that Gonzalo Higuain didn't sign for the Blues in time - there's never been a better chance for Hudson-Odoi to play.

Sarri has consistently vouched for the winger over the last few weeks, even claiming that he now considers Hudson-Odoi to be on the same level as Willian and Pedro. That's a bold statement, but certainly a worthy one, but so far he hasn't backed up that claim with any sort of faith in him.

Make no mistake, Sarri is in a tenure-defining period for the Blues. If he gives Hudson-Odoi a chance and the winger is able to impress going forward, the boss could go down as the man to finally break Chelsea's youth development duck. However, if not, he'll simply be another name that, eventually, will be on the chopping board at Stamford Bridge.

Thoughts?