The Albania international can't play in tonight's Carabao Cup game against his parent club but has battled back to make a big impression at the Saints

Chelsea have great hopes that Armando Broja can be one of the next big talents to emerge from their academy but have been watching on from afar as he makes a rocky beginning to his Southampton loan

With two goals scored in his last two games, it might be tempting to underplay the battle that the 20-year-old striker has had to endure in order to gain minutes.

The Blues opted to send Broja out on loan, despite three goals in three games for Thomas Tuchel during pre-season, following the blockbuster return of Romelu Lukaku to the club.

Southampton's loan bid was quickly accepted with the England-born Albania international replacing the outbound Danny Ings and set to compete with Che Adams and Shane Long for starts.

However, at the time, it wasn’t known within Chelsea that Southampton coach Ralph Hasenhuttl had also lined up £15 million ($21m) Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong - a signing which threatened to knock Broja down the pecking order.

And initially, it did just that; Broja was limited to appearances from the bench and in the Carabao Cup. Furthermore, Hasenhuttl called for Broja to adapt despite the striker playing a similar style of football in his successful loan at Vitesse last season.

“He was a slow starter when he was coming in but in the last three weeks it’s impressive how quick he learns and how quick he wants to do it better," the Saints boss said in early September.

“On Saturday I have seen why we signed him and why the scouts wanted him to sign and this is good. The first two weeks, I was looking what he has to give for me and I can see now, to be honest.

“I had some very serious conversations with him to tell him what I want to see and he’s been a bit of a slow starter, you need to push him a little bit I think, and now he’s moving in the direction I want to see and definitely shown his qualities he has so far in this moment. This is very positive for me.”