Kai Havertz must seize chance as Chelsea's saviour after double injury blow

Chelsea will rightly be concerned about the potential loss of striking duo Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner to injury after the pair were taken off in the 4-0 win over Malmo.

But when one door closes, another opens. And for Kai Havertz, that sliding door could well have opened at the right time for the German to finally prove why he was worth such a hefty investment.

After replacing Lukaku with 23 minutes on the clock, Havertz set about helping put the game beyond doubt for Chelsea.

His first involvements indicated that the German was struggling with confidence in front of goal. On the first attempt, he ballooned over the bar. The second, he was set free down the right but could only find the side netting.

It looked like it might be another frustrating evening for Havertz, who had already seen Andreas Christensen and Jorginho get their names on the scoresheet.

Kai Havertz scores the third goal for Chelsea against Malmo in the Champions League

But the 22-year-old kept working and pushing until his moment finally arrived on 48 minutes.

Having broken in behind the Malmo backline, he lined up his attempt from a tight angle and gently lifted the ball over the goalkeeper. The ball bounced off the slick surface and kissed the post before rolling over the line, much to the relief of Havertz.

That goal would give him a new boost of confidence in his own ability and, as he ran through towards the goal, he set up Antonio Rudiger for a shot — only for his compatriot to be fouled inside the box. Jorginho made it 4-0 — and Chelsea could relax.

Sure, it was a game Chelsea were expected to win comfortably and they did. It was also a game where Havertz was probably more expensive than the Malmo squad's fees put together.

But the importance of his impressive display, and the fact he ended a run of eight games without a goal, cannot be underestimated.

In the eyes of the fans, Havertz is already a hero. That £72million fee handed over to Bayer Leverkusen in September 2020 has been repaid with one special moment in the club's history.

Rewinding to the night of May 29, 2021, a night Havertz will never forget the 42nd minute of the Champions League final — no matter how many goals he scores, trophies he wins or clubs he plays for.

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Kai Havertz scored the winning goal to beat Manchester City and help Chelsea clinch the Champions League

As Mason Mount glanced up to see the forward charging through the middle, he weighted the pass perfectly into his path. Havertz had lady luck watching over him as he tried to lift the ball over the onrushing Ederson and it bobbled over the Brazilian, before he slotted home.

In doing so, he had scored what proved to be the winning goal to clinch a second Champions League trophy in nine years for the Blues, and against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City too.

The fans chanted his name, pundits placed him on the highest of pedestals and tipped him to be a star in Chelsea's bright future.

The 22-year-old had made the centre forward position his own towards the end of the season, linking up well with Timo Werner and Mason Mount in the front three.

But for his coach Thomas Tuchel, there was still something missing.

The German knew that he could not afford to stand still after their European triumph and, after watching his strikers score only 10 league goals between them, a new attacking addition was required.

Chelsea underwent something of an overhaul of their strikeforce over the summer. Out went Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham to make space for Lukaku, who cost a club-record £97.5m to sign from Inter Milan.

Such a signing would have brought mixed feelings for Havertz. In one scenario, he is playing alongside one of the best strikers in the world. In another, he is played out of position to accommodate the Belgian.

Romelu Lukaku was forced off with an ankle injury against Malmo ( Image:

REUTERS)

And in the worst setting, there is no place for him in Tuchel's starting lineup at all. Over the past five games or so, that seems to be the case for the young German.

He started the season in decent form, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool in August with a fine header and impressing as a deep-lying centre forward against Crystal Palace on the opening day.

His versatility means he can play anywhere across the front three and even at the tip of the triangle in the midfield three. But Havertz is best used as a striker, as evidenced by his 16 goals in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in 2019-20.

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The arrival of Lukaku has undeniably hampered the progress he has made over the past 10 months since Tuchel took charge. He has completed the full 90 minutes on just one occasion in his seven league outings this season — in the 2-0 win over Arsenal.

Otherwise, his appearances have come in sporadic patterns, with 13 minutes against Brentford last time out and a 30-minute cameo against Manchester City. Tuchel found his man in Lukaku, leaving Havertz waiting to bide his time.

There was no risk of the Germany international being left out in the cold. The club had invested £72m in the German starlet 15 months ago for a reason — and it wasn't to be an expensive substitute.

Kai Havertz scored in Chelsea's 4-0 win over Malmo in the Champions League

But on the other side of the coin, playing Havertz in a wide position, or deeper in midfield, is not a major improvement. Havertz has been forced to settle for a support role to Lukaku and, while he is intelligent enough to provide assists from deeper positions, he is there to score goals.

He needs to be the man that the play is based around, floating around the central areas and making late darts into the box. But with Lukaku in the side, that is almost impossible.

Due to a stroke of misfortune for Chelsea, he may get a second chance to flourish. With Lukaku and Werner now potentially facing weeks on the sidelines, there is no better time for Havertz to step up to the plate.

Some cynics may suggest it was only Malmo, who were thrashed 4-0 by Zenit St Petersburg on matchday two. But going back to the system in that Champions League final where Havertz, Mount and Werner — later replaced by Callum Hudson-Odoi — were moving about fluidly and freely gave Chelsea a fresh impetus.

Havertz is likely to be the only recognised striker available for Tuchel when Norwich visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday and with that comes a certain amount of pressure.

Kai Havertz celebrates with Callum Hudson-Odoi as Chelsea beat Malmo 4-0

It could also be the perfect litmus test for the Blues when facing opposition struggling for form. After Norwich, they face Southampton in the Carabao Cup, Newcastle in the Premier League, Malmo for the return fixture and Burnley at home.

By that stage, Havertz could add five or six more goals to his tally of two so far.

But with more performances like this, Chelsea may just enjoy a glimpse into the future of what their team could look like a few years down the road, with Havertz leading the line.