Cesar Azpilicueta: 'Special' Callum Hudson-Odoi Is Ready to Make Chelsea Impact

Cesar Azpilicueta is confident his Chelsea team-mate Callum Hudson-Odoi is ready to have a significant impact for the Blues during the remainder of the season.

Per Simon Johnson of the Evening Standard, the Spaniard said:

"I have no doubt he can make an impact in the Premier League. 

"I knew him when he was a kid [in the academy]. To see what he is doing now is amazing. Can he help us in the run-in? Yes, yes, yes.

"I saw him with England, it was a great performance. To show this ability for someone who is 18 is special."

The teenager is yet to make his first Premier League start, but manager Maurizio Sarri said that is set to change:

The Blues will face Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday before they take on West Ham United on Monday, with both games coming at Stamford Bridge.

Despite not starting a match in England's top flight, Hudson-Odoi was called up by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate during the international break and provided a positive impact.

After coming on as a substitute in England's 5-0 win over the Czech Republic, he started their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifier against Montenegro and contributed to a 5-1 victory:

He has evidently impressed in training with Chelsea since his return from international duty, too:

However, he was an unused substitute in their 2-1 win over Cardiff City on Sunday.

As Goal's Nizaar Kinsella demonstrated, game time has been hard to come by for the 18-year-old under Sarri:

Despite spending little time on the pitch, he has scored five times and laid on four assists for Chelsea this season.

Brighton have given up 43 goals this season, which is among the better defensive records in the bottom half. As far as a full Premier League debut goes, though, they're not a bad opponent for him to face, particularly as they've lost 10 times away from home in this campaign.

The Blues are embroiled in a hard-fought battle for a top-four spot—they're sixth but only one point off fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur—and will be pushing for silverware in the UEFA Europa League, having reached the quarter-final, where they'll play Slavia Prague.

They need to continue picking up results, but despite his youth, Hudson-Odoi has shown that he can contribute to that.