How Ramires Played His Way Back into Chelsea Plans for Premier, Champions League

There's a saying about hard work and that most things are achievable with a little bit of graft.

For those in doubt as to the wisdom of that, just ask Ramires.

The Brazilian midfielder has gone from forgotten man to Chelsea stalwart in a matter of weeks.

It started with a solid display against Manchester City at the end of January, and now he's beginning to play an integral part to what Chelsea are achieving.

Filling in for the injured Cesc Fabregas, Ramires put in a shift for his team that day.

He wasn't as easy on the eye against City as his team-mate usually is, but his battling qualities went some way to earning Chelsea a point in a game where 120 minutes of Capital One Cup football a few days earlier had taken their toll.

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Given all that had passed before that, it was too early to get excited. But now, with the performances returning in recent weeks, we've seen more of the Ramires we've grown to know in west London.

The 27-year-old has struggled for his best form since Jose Mourinho was reappointed Chelsea manager. A combination of injuries and the changing of the guard at Stamford Bridge has broken his flow.

Ramires hasn't quite fitted in.

The midfield pivot has seen the emergence of Nemanja Matic as a major part of Chelsea's defensive game, and the addition of Fabregas has added the extra dynamism the side has lacked.

Further forward Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian have established themselves as the first-choice front three.

Where that left Ramires was on the bench, or out of matchday squads completely.

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He's a hybrid, a jack-of-all-trades type who comes complete with a little bit of the qualities each of his team-mates demonstrates.

Chelsea haven't needed that, though. They've needed a player with specific qualities to complement the rest, something the Brazilian hasn't quite managed.

Ramires isn't a master of passing, he doesn't tackle in the way Matic does or create the opportunities of a Hazard or Oscar in attack.

That's been to his detriment, yet now he's rediscovered the engine that ensures he is a major asset to Mourinho and this team once again.

His graft against City back in January hinted at that, and facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this week confirmed it.

What Mourinho needed to get a result in Parc des Princes were players willing to put their bodies on the line and sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

Regardless of their domestic form and a mini injury-crisis, this was PSG at home and with the crowd behind them, Laurent Blanc's side were being motivated by much more than the carrot of a quarter-final place in the Champions League.

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PSG were out for revenge after Chelsea ended their European dream last season.

And how do you combat a team fueled by that? You confront them face on; you enter the lion's den and refuse to back down, competing for every ball, every inch.

It's the Tony D'Amato approach: When you count those inches over the course of a game, you need to make sure you've gained more than the opponent.

Had it not been for a defensive lapse, Chelsea may well have come away with a promising 1-0 victory on Tuesday. Instead, Edinson Cavani's equaliser to cancel out Branislav Ivanovic's first-half header means the tie is finely balanced.

It does have the feel of job half done, though. Chelsea have their away goal, and after PSG threw the kitchen sink at them they came away relatively unscathed.

Now they have them on their own patch for the second leg, where Blanc's side have to get something. Chelsea know they're in the driving seat.

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Ramires' no-holds-barred display was a big factor in that.

Alongside Matic, he was integral in breaking up play and proving a general nuisance to the home side's attacking ambitions.

Ramires was exactly what Chelsea needed—a player to work tirelessly, putting the team before his own performance.

There wasn't any glory for Ramires on the night. He wasn't the man making goals or trying to score them, but he was doing something far more important. And he did it well.

It's been too long since we could say that, and his return has come at the perfect time for Chelsea.

He's been on the fringes, and now Ramires is right back in the mix at Stamford Bridge.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes