Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger could be about to earn a new contract.

The German centre-half has been rejuvenated since the arrival of countryman Thomas Tuchel in place of Frank Lampard.

Not only have the Blues been winning games, but they have been keeping clean sheets.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the defender said: "Inside myself, I was always calm and relaxed, I'll be very honest. I was not going crazy because I was not playing at the beginning and when you're not in the squad, you think 'oh wow, what's happening?'

"But then suddenly I was back in the team and got some games. From that moment on, my head was 'I'm staying here at Chelsea and trying to fight for my spot'. In the last games of Frank Lampard, I was featuring even more.

"Lampard in or out, I would have stayed anyway.

"The thing is I cannot give myself a new contract. The talks have to come from the board, from Marina [Granovskaia], I'm very calm when it comes to that."