Michael Essien was delighted with his comeback game for Chelsea in this week's reserve-team clash with Aston Villa.

"Everything is perfect, I wasn't expecting to finish the game, but I felt good so I had to finish," explained Essien on Chelsea TV.

"At the end I was a bit slow, but from the beginning until the end I was sharp, so everything was good."

A lot has happened in the six months Essien has been away from the first team, but given all the changes inside the Chelsea camp, the time seems to have flown by, even for the man himself.

"From the beginning it looked a very long time, but as time goes on it goes quickly, but I am happy to be back and playing football," added Essien.

"It has been very hard to see my teammates out there playing but I have had to take it and get on with my rehab and try to get myself back."