Chelsea’s Under 18 side were in action in arguably their biggest game of the season as they took on Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup.
The young Blues rested heavily in what turned out to be a historic win in the U18 Premier League a few days earlier, however the result was not what they would have been hoping.
Chelsea were defeated 5-1, with star United striker Chido Obi-Martin scoring a hat-trick after his high-profile move from Arsenal over the summer.
It was a strong side representing Cobham, including a handful of players who have already made their debuts for the first team under Enzo Maresca.
Shim Mheuka struggles in Chelsea U18 defeat to Man United
One of those was Shim Mheuka, who started up front despite reportedly picking up an injury in January.
It was a tough night for the 17-year-old in front of goal. As per the official Chelsea match report, he missed a good chance when the game was still very much up for grabs.
The striker had shone in the prior Youth Cup game the Blues took part in, scoring a hat-trick in the dominant win against Merstham.
There has already been plenty of praise handed the way of the youngster by first team players, with Tosin Adarabioyo singling Mheuka out for praise.
Recent graduate Josh Acheampong has tipped Mheuka to be the next player to break into the first team on a regular basis, and an opportunity has cropped up for him to take his chance at that level.
Mheuka deserves chance to play for Chelsea after Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu injuries
Chelsea are undergoing an injury crisis in the striker position. Nicolas Jackson is set to be out for over a month, with Marc Guiu also not expected to return in February.
The Blues are weighing up a number of options to start up top for the foreseeable future. Christopher Nkunku is the obvious shout, however his recent display against Brighton failed to give Chelsea fans belief he could effectively lead the line.
In a search for a recognised forward, the former Brighton youngster has seven goals in 12 games in all competitions when playing in that position this season.
It would be a big risk to throw a youngster into the first team setup at such a crucial stage of the season, however Mheuka deserves his chance to prove why those at Cobham have so much faith in him.