Chelsea are excited about the potential of Argie striker Franco di Santo.

Blues boss Phil Scolari said: "It's important for us to put some young players in the team. Di Santo scored one goal (against Guangzhou Pharmaceutical) which is good for us and it's good for him that he played in this match. He will grow as a player and we can continue to build for the future of the team for the next 11, 15, 20 years."

Such is the impact Di Santo has made in just six months at the club he is expected to play a significant role in the forthcoming season as one of the back-up strikers.

Blues football chief Frank Arnesen said: "He is closer to being in the first team squad than anyone else at the moment. He has already played at the highest level in Chile so has a very good background. He didn't speak a word of English when he came here, knew nothing about our training methods and still scored many goals straight away."