Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insists Kevin de Bruyne will get a first team chance this month.
Mourinho says he's been impressed by De Bruyne's training ground form.
"Kevin is showing desire and working very hard," said Mourinho. "I feel sorry for not giving him big opportunities up to now, but he's working better than ever. He's sad when he's not selected or playing, but he's working professionally which, for me, was a change from the beginning. When he works the way he is, he has to have a chance.
"He is selected [in the squad] for the Sunderland game on Wednesday, and he has a block of matches ahead and has to make a mark in them. I like him as a player. I've learned now how to like him, also, as a kid. He's a good kid and he's showing he's a good professional. Hopefully I can give him enough time on the pitch so he decides to stay in a happy way."
Mou added: "I understand he needs to play a bit more, but he's in an area of the pitch where we have more options.
"I'm speaking with him and we're working a bit on that: he can also play as a midfielder when we play with an open triangle. He's done that at Werder Bremen, so hopefully we can find more options for Kevin to play, because I like the player very much."
