Cesc Fàbregas remains hopeful of convincing Chelsea to offer him a new contract. The midfielder’s deal runs out next summer and he is aware the ball is in Chelsea’s court. However Fàbregas is enjoying life under Maurizio Sarri and the 31-year-old, who has dropped down the pecking order after missing the start of the season with a knee injury, does not want to leave.

“I’m very open about it,” Fàbregas said. “To be the honest the club has not said anything. At the end of the day I have eight months left and at the moment I’m gone. But I’d love to stay at the club. I’ve been very happy for the last four years and a half. We’ve had great success, won many things. I think I have a good understanding with the fans and players. I feel I still have a lot of football left in me but it is now up to the club.”

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Chelsea have had a policy of offering one-year extensions to players in their 30s and Sarri could decide he wants to keep Fàbregas. The former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder started in the Europa League victory over Vidi on Thursday and helped to create Álvaro Morata’s winning goal. However he is likely to make way for Jorginho when Chelsea visit Southampton on Sunday.

“I just came back from a difficult injury,” Fàbregas said. “I’m still sometimes feeling it a little bit. It is difficult to be sitting there and not helping the team when you know you could add something.”

Fàbregas, who has won two league titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup since joining Chelsea from Barcelona in 2014, does not envisage seeing out his career in England. “Probably in a few years I’d like to go away from Europe and experience something different at the later stage of my career,” he said.

Fàbregas played in a deep-lying role against Vidi and is impressed with Sarri’s attacking approach. “I wish he came a bit earlier to be honest,” he said. “It’s a little bit late now in my career.”