Young striker Bertrand Traore impressing for Chelsea

Chelsea's struggles in the Premier League this season have allowed Guus Hiddink to field some of the club's precocious youngsters. Bertrand Traore is seizing his chance.

The 20-year-old scored a superb goal in the Blues' 1-1 draw with Stoke on Saturday and now has four goals in five games in all competitions.

Shipped out on loan to Vitesse in the Netherlands in the past two seasons - impressively scoring 14 times in 36 appearances for the Dutch club last term - Traore only secured his work permit to play for Chelsea in the 2015/16 campaign last summer.

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The Burkina Faso international had been limited to just 34 minutes of first-team action before Chelsea's FA Cup trip to MK Dons at the end of January. But, since opening his account as a substitute in that tie, he has continued to make his presence felt.

Of course, opportunities are hard to come by for fringe players at the English champions but, when Diego Costa was left out of Chelsea's clash with Stoke, Traore - through form in cup competitions and training - had forced his way to the front of the queue, ahead of more experienced names such as Loic Remy.

He is open to learn and you can teach him. You can say 'work on this' and he is very clever to do so.

"We spoke to him in training about how to improve," Hiddink said last month. "He was overdoing it a bit because he is very mobile and busy. But he is open to learn and you can teach him. You can say 'work on this' and he is very clever to do so."

Those training ground lessons are clearly paying off for Traore. His stunning left-foot strike from the edge of the Stoke box exemplified his talent. But his all-round play before his 68th-minute substitution was impressive, too.

Traore was a good target for Chelsea's attacking trio of midfielders, Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar, always providing an option and - when he received it - keeping possession. The striker recorded an 84.6 per cent pass completion rate in Stoke's half and only lost the ball five times.

He may have only managed 25 touches during his time on the pitch - Thibaut Courtois had more - but he stuck to his task and his goal will feel like ample reward.

Hiddink writes off top four

Guus Hiddink wrote off Chelsea's chances of reaching the top four following the 1-1 draw with Stoke.

A full international at the age of 15 and caught up in a bizarre contract saga, which involved reports of his 2010 arrival at Chelsea being dismissed, Traore's route to the first-team has not been straightforward.

But now he has arrived it seems Hiddink is ready to offer Traore the right environment to develop.

"They have to step up on the podium which is not easy, because the nerves also play a role, and that's why it's good to see this goal," Hiddink said after the draw with Stoke.  

"I don't care if they make errors, but I like to see them play brave."