'I'm so happy to come back' - Caicedo targets Chelsea revival after injury frustration

The Ecuador international had been limited to one substitute appearance this season because of a recurring calf injury. He picked up the problem earlier in the campaign and suffered a setback during his brief return against Brighton in late August.

The extended international break gave Caicedo time to complete his recovery, and head coach Xabi Alonso restored him to the starting XI against Bournemouth.

The midfielder immediately made his presence felt, winning four tackles, more than any other player on the pitch, while completing 96 per cent of his passes.

Caicedo was delighted to be back after a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

"It feels so good to be back with the team and there is no better way to come back than with a win," he told Chelsea TV.

"It was a tough moment, to be honest. I couldn't be with the team, but now finally I am back. I just want to be with the team in every moment, so I'm so happy to come back."

Despite his strong performance, Caicedo admitted he was still building up his match fitness after spending so much time out.

"I felt a little bit tired after a long time without playing, to be honest! I need to be careful, but I feel good," he said.

"I enjoy being with the team, with the fans, with everybody. Now we want to keep working, keep pushing because we need to be up there."

Chelsea's emphatic victory provided the perfect start to a demanding October schedule, with an away trip to Everton next before a difficult run of fixtures against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United.

Caicedo welcomed the challenge, insisting Chelsea were determined to collect as many points as possible against their major rivals.

"Everybody is excited with those kind of games," he said.

"It's always nice to play in those games and for sure we will prepare well because we want to get as many points as possible.

"We want to keep going forward because we want to put Chelsea where they belong."

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