There were plenty of similarities in Chelsea’s two encounters with Liverpool so far this season: a spirited team performance ending in defeat by a narrow margin, N’Golo Kante tirelessly carrying the fight and young players showing potential against the European champions.

It would have been reasonable to expect little change given just 39 days had passed between clashes in the Uefa Super Cup and the Premier League but one player was notable by his absence in the latter last weekend: Christian Pulisic.

Among the most prominent positives head coach Frank Lampard took from the Blues’ penalty shoot-out defeat in Istanbul last month was Pulisic’s display on his full debut.

Having assisted for Olivier Giroud’s opening goal, Pulisic terrorised Joe Gomez on the left before cutting inside on his right foot and drilling a low shot past Adrian.

The goal was ruled out for offside but what a sign it seemed of things to come. Nobody could expect the 21-year-old to immediately replicate Eden Hazard’s contribution but, at £58million, Chelsea looked to have acquired someone with plenty of the requisite skills to try.

It is too early to suggest Pulisic is faltering in that quest but the likelihood he will play some part against Grimsby in Wednesday's League Cup third-round tie is an indication of the place he currently occupies in Lampard’s thinking.

The winger was an unused substitute as Chelsea chased an equaliser against Liverpool on Sunday.

Early injuries to Emerson Palmieri and Andreas Christensen narrowed Lampard’s options from the bench in that game but regardless Pulisic has not featured this month, with Willian and Pedro selected in attacking positions behind Tammy Abraham. Mason Mount’s emergence has been arguably the biggest bonus for Lampard this term but that has had a knock-on effect for Pulisic, who has seen the England international operate in a wide-left position which it initially appeared he would have time to make his own.

However, when Pedro sustained an injury in the warm-up at Norwich on August 24, Lampard opted to take Mount out of midfield and move him to the left with Pulisic operating on the right.

Although he played a role in Abraham’s first goal and provided the assist for Mount’s second, Pulisic was a more peripheral presence against ­Sheffield United and has not played for Chelsea since.

The likely return of Callum Hudson-Odoi will add to the competition for places. Pulisic’s price tag means more is expected immediately but Lampard was keen to play down his omission as nothing more than mere rotation.

“I have a squad to pick from,” he said after the Liverpool defeat. “He played before that a few games, Willian has come back in and been sharp and good.

“I decided to go with Mason [against Liverpool] because we needed to stay strong in midfield and push Mason up higher. It is just my choice to make and he will get ample opportunities. He is a young player. As much as everyone is talking about Mason, Tammy, [Fikayo] Tomori, he is younger than some of them so his chances will come.”

Chelsea squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 29 show all Chelsea squad 2019-20 | Injuries, contracts and squad numbers 1/29 We run you through Chelsea's squad for the 2019-20 season... AFP/Getty Images 2/29 Kepa Arrizabalaga Squad Number: 1



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 REUTERS 3/29 Antonio Rudiger Squad Number: 2



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 4/29 Marcos Alonso Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AFP/Getty Images 5/29 Andreas Christensen Squad Number: 4



Condition:Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 6/29 Jorginho Squad Number: 5



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AP 7/29 Danny Drinkwater Squad Number: 6



Condition: On loan at Aston Villa



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 8/29 N'Golo Kante Squad Number: 7



Condition: Fit Contract expires: 30/06/2023 PA 9/29 Ross Barkley Squad Number: 8



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 10/29 Tammy Abraham Squad Number: 9



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 11/29 Willian Squad Number: 10



Condition: Injured



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 12/29 Pedro Squad Number: 11



Condition: Unavailable (shoulder injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AP 13/29 Ruben Loftus-Cheek Squad Number: 12



Condition: Ruled out



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Chelsea FC via Getty Images 14/29 Willy Caballero Squad Number: 13



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 15/29 Tiemoue Bakayoko Squad Number: 14



Condition: On loan at Monaco



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 16/29 Kurt Zouma Squad Number: 15



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 17/29 Kenedy Squad Number: 16



Condition: On loan at Getafe



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 18/29 Mateo Kovacic Squad Number: 17



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 19/29 Olivier Giroud Squad Number: 18



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Mason Mount Squad Number: 19



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 21/29 Callum Hudson-Odoi Squad Number: 20



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 22/29 Davide Zappacosta Squad Number: 21



Condition: On loan at AS Roma



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 23/29 Christian Pulisic Squad Number: 22



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/29 Michy Batshuayi Squad Number: 23



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 25/29 Cesar Azpilicueta Squad Number: 28



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Action Images via Reuters 26/29 Fikayo Tomori Squad Number: 29



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/29 Emerson Palmieri Squad Number: 33



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 PA 28/29 Ethan Ampadu Squad Number: 44



Condition: On loan at RB Leipzig



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 29/29 Jamal Blackman Squad Number: 40



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 1/29 We run you through Chelsea's squad for the 2019-20 season... AFP/Getty Images 2/29 Kepa Arrizabalaga Squad Number: 1



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 REUTERS 3/29 Antonio Rudiger Squad Number: 2



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 4/29 Marcos Alonso Squad Number: 3



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AFP/Getty Images 5/29 Andreas Christensen Squad Number: 4



Condition:Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 6/29 Jorginho Squad Number: 5



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 AP 7/29 Danny Drinkwater Squad Number: 6



Condition: On loan at Aston Villa



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 8/29 N'Golo Kante Squad Number: 7



Condition: Fit Contract expires: 30/06/2023 PA 9/29 Ross Barkley Squad Number: 8



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 REUTERS 10/29 Tammy Abraham Squad Number: 9



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 11/29 Willian Squad Number: 10



Condition: Injured



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 12/29 Pedro Squad Number: 11



Condition: Unavailable (shoulder injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AP 13/29 Ruben Loftus-Cheek Squad Number: 12



Condition: Ruled out



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Chelsea FC via Getty Images 14/29 Willy Caballero Squad Number: 13



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 15/29 Tiemoue Bakayoko Squad Number: 14



Condition: On loan at Monaco



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 16/29 Kurt Zouma Squad Number: 15



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 17/29 Kenedy Squad Number: 16



Condition: On loan at Getafe



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 18/29 Mateo Kovacic Squad Number: 17



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Action Images via Reuters 19/29 Olivier Giroud Squad Number: 18



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 AFP/Getty Images 20/29 Mason Mount Squad Number: 19



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 AFP/Getty Images 21/29 Callum Hudson-Odoi Squad Number: 20



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2020 Getty Images 22/29 Davide Zappacosta Squad Number: 21



Condition: On loan at AS Roma



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Getty Images 23/29 Christian Pulisic Squad Number: 22



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2024 Getty Images 24/29 Michy Batshuayi Squad Number: 23



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images 25/29 Cesar Azpilicueta Squad Number: 28



Condition: Unavailable (hamstring injury)



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 Action Images via Reuters 26/29 Fikayo Tomori Squad Number: 29



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 REUTERS 27/29 Emerson Palmieri Squad Number: 33



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2022 PA 28/29 Ethan Ampadu Squad Number: 44



Condition: On loan at RB Leipzig



Contract expires: 30/06/2023 Getty Images 29/29 Jamal Blackman Squad Number: 40



Condition: Fit



Contract expires: 30/06/2021 Getty Images

Reece James is also hopeful of playing some part as he steps up his return from an ankle injury, aiming to prove himself the next youngster able to play an active role at Chelsea under Lampard. He might be a little surprised to find Pulisic alongside him doing something similar.