Maurizio Sarri: Callum Hudson-Odoi Is 'Ready to Play in Every Match' for Chelsea

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri believes Callum Hudson-Odoi is ready to play a regular role with the Blues after his impressive full Premier League debut on Wednesday. 

The teenager made his first league start as Chelsea beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, and Sarri was also impressed with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Andreas Christensen.

Per Goal's Guy Atkinson, on Hudson-Odoi, he said:

"It's impossible to be at the top when you are 18. He needs to improve, he can improve, and I want him to improve. He can become one of the best players in Europe.

"As I said yesterday, Callum is now ready to play in every match, also in the most difficult matches because he improved a lot during the season.

"I was sure about his performance. He played very well. But I am really very happy with him because he defended really well. It's important to have three offensive players able to defend, otherwise the balance of the team is a problem. So, tactically, now he is ready."

Hudson-Odoi assisted Olivier Giroud for Chelsea's opening goal, delivering the ball for the Frenchman to convert at the near post.

Loftus-Cheek found Eden Hazard with a first-time pass for the Belgian to net the Blues' second from the edge of the area on the hour mark, and Hazard did the same for Loftus-Cheek three minutes later, with the Englishman picking out the postage stamp from 25 yards.

Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek celebrated the win on Twitter:

The pair reflected on the performance in their post-match interview on Sky Sports too:

For Hudson-Odoi, the start was a long time coming in what was his ninth Premier League appearance, having made his first in January last year.

As Squawka demonstrated, he did not disappoint:

Sarri also thought Loftus-Cheek, who had shaken off a back issue to train every day for the past three weeks, "played very well and scored a wonderful goal."

The Italian also included Christensen in his praise:

"We are talking about Callum and Ruben, but I was impressed by the performance of Christensen. I want to speak also about Christensen because, in the last period, he played really very well.

"I think it's important that Callum, Ruben and Christensen—he's not English, but it's the same because he's a player from our academy—are very important for the club.

"They are, at the moment, very important players but the potential is higher. So, in the future, they can become top players. I think, for this team, the future could be good."

Goal's Nizaar Kinsella believes Loftus-Cheek should be a regular starter for the Blues:

The 23-year-old has now scored in back-to-back matches for Chelsea for the third time this season, and he adds more attacking impetus to their midfield than Jorginho or N'Golo Kante.

As for Christensen, 22, it was only his fourth Premier League appearance of the campaign; last season, he made 27.

He's a promising defender and has played every minute of their UEFA Europa League campaign, in which Chelsea have conceded just four goals in 10 matches.

As he showed last term, he's capable of doing more, though, so Sarri should consider using him on a regular basis.