When a 36-year-old Jordan Henderson followed a 35-year-old Danny Welbeck through the door at Stamford Bridge in early August, it seemed Chelsea had overcorrected from their chaos of youth. The ageing pair had impressed for two thirds of the Premier League ’s so-called “Bermuda Triangle” - Brentford and Brighton respectively - but there was hardly the impression they were signed as starters , more dressing room figures.

Barring a 71-minute cameo in the damning 3-0 loss at the Bees , Welbeck’s starts have been limited to the Carabao Cup . Henderson, on the other hand, finds himself towards the pinnacle of the pecking order in the Premier League, the priority competition, forming an unlikely partnership with the indispensable Moises Caicedo in the centre of midfield.…