Andreas Christensen will make his fifth start of the season for Chelsea on Saturday against Manchester City, and it feels like a vindication for the patience of both player and club over his long development.

The Danish centre-back has been in the Chelsea system for more than five years and has just come back from a two-year loan at Borussia Monchengladbach.

But by slotting into the first team this season he has shown that there is a path, at least for Chelsea’s very best youngsters, from academy to loan to first-team. He has been held up by Antonio Conte as an example to Chelsea’s other youngsters.

Christensen’s composure and class in the middle of that back three has also meant that Chelsea have not missed the leadership of suspended David Luiz quite as much as they might have done.

The fact that Christensen played for Monchengladbach for two seasons means he has actually faced Manchester City in the Champions League, and has more top-level experience than he would have done had he sat on the Chelsea bench for the last two years. Those games should stand him in good stead this weekend.

“It was great experience, they were big games,” he said this week. “I haven’t got the best results against them yet, but, hopefully, that will now come. It was in the Champions League, I was a young player on loan. It was what I wanted and it was good for me, big games against the best players.”

Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Thibaut Courtois – 5 Was sent the wrong way from a penalty then parried a shot into the danger zone and was fortunate not to hand Atletico another goal. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta – 5 Quiet night but was often on hand to deny Greizmann. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings David Luiz – 4 Oozed his usual class when playing forward long passes but the way he conceded a penalty was the antithesis of class. A foolish grab on Lucas in box after he lost his marker gave the referee no option but to point to the spot. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Gary Cahill – 6 Was very composed in difficult situations and patrolled the back line well. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Victor Moses – 5 Struggled to get forward but played well in defence. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Tiemoue Bakayoko – 5 Broke up play well and kept Greizmann very quiet in the first half. A clumsy challenge late in the game might have resulted in a penalty but fortune favoured the the midfielder and he got away with it. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Cesc Fabregas – 6 Received licence to play a little further forward than usual and was involved in some easy-on-the-eye moves. Rarely gave away the ball. Chelsea FC via Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Marcos Alonso – 6 Had a goal-bound shot deflected wide on the edge of the area. Set up Batsuayi's late goal with a precise low cross. Chelsea FC via Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings N’Golo Kante – 6 Pressed Atletico high up the pitch and initiated several attacks with successful tackles in dangerous areas. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Eden Hazard – 8 Was instrumental in everything that Chelsea did well. Hit the post in the first half and generally caused havoc. He linked up very well with Morata and his driven cross for the Spaniard’s goal was perfect and reflected the quality of his game. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Alvaro Morata – 7 The home fans greeted the former Real Madrid forward with a frosty reception but he had the last laugh when timing his run to nod in Hazard’s near post cross in the second half. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Jan Oblak - 7 Did very well to keep Hazard and Morata at bay with a string of good saves in the first half. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Juanfran - 6 Set up some good chances with accurate crossing when going forward and was always well positioned at the back. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Diego Godin - 6 Dealt with every cross Chelsea hurled at him, another dominant display from the experienced defender. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Lucas Hernandez - 6 Read the game very well and often positioned himself to intercept Chelsea’s final passes. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Filipe Luis - 5 Did well to prevent the advances of Victor Moses. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Saul Niguez - 5 Probably should have doubled Atletico’s lead when Courtois palmed a shot into his path but the midfield fired wide from just outside the six yard box. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Thomas - 5 Picked up a yellow card early in the second half but was generally good in one-on-one tackles Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Koke - 5 Had a couple of ‘pop shots’ saved by Courtois and was accurate in his passing. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Yannick Carrasco - 6 Smart on the break and made the right decisions when moving the ball in advanced areas. Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Antoine Griezmann - 6 Sporadically got on the ball in the first half but was unable to influence the game in a meaningful way. Took his penalty well but on the whole it was a poor night for the French sensation. AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Chelsea player ratings Angel Correa - 5 Had little joy on the ball against any of the Chelsea defenders but showed glimpses of quality when given space to cross. Often pressed the back line but usually did so alone and with little success. Getty Images

While some players find being on loan to feel like they are in limbo, Christensen was full of praise for how Chelsea handled his long loan spell, and always felt like he was part of their plans.

“Chelsea kept looking after me, getting the videos and texting every week and every day about how I was doing,” he said. “Eddie Newton and Paulo Ferreira did a great job with me. Facing the strikers in the

Bundesliga got me so much experience and two years in the Champions League as well, so I got a lot of experience. The club could not have done any more than they did in terms of helping me on the right path.”

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It was a learning experience, Christensen said he had to wash his own clothes, and the only player he really knew at first was Thorgan Hazard. But he learned enough to be able to come back in and complete. “I wanted one year to settle in and establish myself, and another to play regularly and really go for it,” he said. “It was two seasons at a high level. It was probably only before I went on holiday

this summer, I thought about what would happen at Chelsea and if I’d get a chance, but the manager showed me he trusts me and he has a great passion for me to deliver.”