Is Lewis Baker's England Form Finally Playing Him Into Contention at Chelsea?

The international break doesn't have to spell doom and gloom for football fans—Chelsea supporters in particular.

Forgetting the debates over pointless friendlies and World Cup qualifiers with so-called minnows for a moment, international football still serves a purpose, especially if you're Lewis Baker and Nathaniel Chalobah.

The latter has played close to 90 games in England's development squads, from under-16 level right through to the under-21s. Not only has the experience built his confidence and knowledge of the game, but playing so frequently has given Chalobah a profile beyond what we should expect from a player who only this season made his debut for Chelsea.

Watching the midfielder in the few appearances he has made under Antonio Conte, he has stood out among Chelsea's other talented youngsters. It's not because of what he has done; it's more for the way he has looked. Chalobah has the demeanour of a player who is comfortable in his surroundings. He looks like he belongs.

Compare that to Ruben Loftus-Cheek. It's not his ability that is under scrutiny, but more his belief. Having his position changed frequently hasn't helped his cause, yet Loftus-Cheek doesn't play like we have seen in the development squads. He doesn't assert himself enough; instead he stands back and allows others to dominate for him.

That hasn't been his game. He's been about playing on the front foot, taking control.

There's no doubt Chalobah's six loan moves across England and to Italy with Napoli have played their part in his sudden rise. Turning out for England so frequently, though, Chalobah has added to his game and proved he is capable of adjusting to the demands international football puts on players—youth or senior.

After his exploits with England this week, Baker now has seven goals in 12 games for the under-21s. Like Chalobah has done, he's using the international game to broaden his appeal.

That's vital. For all the hype Chelsea's young players get for winning FA Youth Cups and trophies in Europe, there's still a question that lingers about their individual capabilities. Are we seeing them dominate on the back of a great youth team? Or is much of it down to individual talents?

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It’s time Lewis Baker got a decent chance. The lad could be special
pic.twitter.com/GOMGA82Zyf

— Football Fours (@Football_Fours) November 14, 2016"

The fact Chelsea still struggle to establish their young players in the first team could be part of the problem the club faces. Collectively they dominate, but individually there is ground to be made up.

For instance, while Manchester United's youth teams don't compete to the same level as Chelsea, Marcus Rashford bucks the trend. United have a bona fide first-team talent. Rashford is scoring goals at senior level and has full international honours to back up the hype. No other Chelsea youth product compares with those individual achievements.

With limited opportunities at the club, Chelsea's emerging stars have to tread a different path. It's why standing out on loan is so vital for them as it's all they have to be noticed and taken seriously. It's a demonstration that there is something tangible behind what we think we're seeing as they come through the ranks. That Baker—and Chalobah—is doing it with England as well puts more weight behind him.

Where Baker is concerned, he's been among England's standout youngsters for a while now. Beyond England's seniors, he is among a select few of England's best prospects.

VI-Images/Getty Images

Indeed, only last summer he picked up the Golden Boot when England lifted the Toulon Tournament trophy, scoring four goals. He hasn't stalled since then, adding a further three in his country's games since.

Two of those came this week against Italy and France—the latter being a sublime free-kick that beat the French goalkeeper to bounce in off the post.

"That’s what the practice is for, the moments like this," Baker said of his free-kick to TheFA.com. "I just want to keep practising, and hopefully more and more will go in."

It was an example of the quality he possesses. Call it a lazy Chelsea comparison, but it was the sort of magic that so endeared Gianfranco Zola to Blues supporters.

Of course, Baker isn't in the same conversation as a player of Zola's quality—not yet, at least. His career requires something exceptional to be mentioned as anything like Zola's equal, let alone have his talents properly crossreferenced with him.

We're not trying to sensationalise here, though. Mention of Zola is apt, as Chelsea continue to look for players to replicate what he achieved in west London in the same way Arsenal will always be looking to serve supporters with a modern equivalent of Liam Brady or Thierry Henry.

All clubs have traditions and attempt to serve them best through their players. What Baker is showing with England's development squads—coupled with his Vitesse Arnhem loan—is that he has the potential to go some way in matching what those before him have achieved.

Baker's England form is an extension of his performances in Holland. The 21-year-old is a big part of Vitesse's attacking threat this season, already scoring five goals in 12 matches. To reinforce the relevance of those stats, Baker's five strikes represent a third of the goals mid-table Vitesse have scored in the Eredivisie.

Only striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel has hit the back of the net more than Baker, who has now equalled his return from his loan with the same club last season.

Of course, it isn't just about the goals. Baker is an attacking midfielder and is judged on much more. His job is about being a creative source in the final third to feed others, and while he has yet to pick up an assist this term, he's becoming the fulcrum in attacking midfield. And as his strike rate demonstrates, Baker has an end product.

Now that John Terry seems on the brink with his playing career, the well of Chelsea's youth fountain has run drier than it has ever been in the last decade. More than ever, Chelsea need to quench the thirst for allowing homegrown players to emerge and be part of whatever success they enjoy.

Among their problems, a reliance on the transfer market doesn't help the cause. The club's policy has long been that buying ready-made talents such as Eden Hazard is a better guarantee for success than trusting an untested young player from within. If it wasn't, we would have seen more risk taken with the academy.

What Baker is doing now, however, is limiting that risk. He's performing for Vitesse and doing the same for England. He is one of his country's best players, for where he is right now.

How do Chelsea ignore that? Put simply, they can't.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes