Chelsea fear they are fighting a losing battle in their bid to keep Callum Hudson-Odoi, despite the winger being handed a surprise start in the Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Tottenham Hotspur.

In what may prove to be a final roll of the dice in Chelsea’s efforts to show the 18-year-old how highly they rate him, Hudson-Odoi started ahead of Pedro after Bayern Munich had indicated a willingness to make him the most expensive English teenager.

Chelsea’s preference would be to turn down Bayern’s offer and secure Hudson-Odoi to a new contract, but the youngster’s representatives have shown no willingness to negotiate in recent weeks and there is concern that his head has already been turned.

Hudson-Odoi has 18 months remaining on his deal and Bayern are prepared to pay Chelsea more than the £31 million Southampton received for Luke Shaw from Manchester United in 2014.

That may be too much for Chelsea to turn down if Hudson-Odoi is not swayed by head coach Maurizio Sarri’s decision to throw him in against Spurs.