Liam Delap is set for a crucial period at Chelsea, despite only recently joining the club.
The £30 million forward netted his debut goal for the Blues, and developments off the field have positioned him favorably in the competition for the striker role.
FIFA`s decision to double the ban for his positional rival Nicolas Jackson means Delap will also spearhead the attack against Benfica on Saturday, as the Club World Cup heats up.
And in this kind of form, there`s a strong possibility Delap could secure the first-choice striker spot by the end of June and potentially never look back.
The 22-year-old Delap now boasts a goal and an assist, albeit against very weak opposition in a tournament that, even without the taxing weather, is physically demanding for the players.
Jackson is currently sidelined, regretting his shocking loss of temper and the decision to plant his studs into an opponent`s shin in the last match.
A reckless action from which he might also find it hard to recover.
While most Chelsea supporters back in England were sleeping, Delap provided his new team with the spark they`ve been needing for months.
Appearing strong yet composed, with his traditional playing style and rolled-down socks, the Blues might finally have a reliable centre forward they can depend on week after week.
Besides his first goal – Chelsea`s second – scored at the close of a rather uninspired half, Delap also saw a powerful header cleared off the line, and an earlier scoring chance was thwarted only by a last-ditch block.
Channeling aggression effectively is crucial for a forward going into battle. And Jackson seems to be struggling with that.
He is currently serving bans in two different competitions, having been sent off in the Premier League last month against Newcastle for elbowing Sven Botman.
In what was largely an unimpressive display from a heavily rotated Chelsea side against poor opposition, they have at least advanced to the last 16, with Tosin`s headed goal opening the scoring.
The imposing centre-back connected with an Enzo Fernandez free-kick three minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Although Chelsea only required a draw to qualify, taking the lead offered significant relief for a team featuring eight changes from their previous match – a 3-1 defeat against Brazil`s Flamengo.
And Delap scored again just two minutes after Tosin, securing the victory that sees Chelsea finish as Group D runners-up. They headed to Miami this morning to establish their base before flying to Charlotte, North Carolina, to face Benfica on Saturday afternoon UK time as the knockout rounds commence.
The added good news is that they have avoided a tie against Harry Kane and Bayern Munich for now.
Head coach Enzo Maresca waited until any chance of an opposition comeback was extinguished before making further changes, replacing Fernandez to give midfielder Andrey Santos his debut.
The Brazilian has been a Chelsea player for two and a half years but has since been out on loan at Nottingham Forest and sister club Strasbourg.
Delap was substituted just before the hour mark to warm applause from the local fans, and the further Chelsea progresses in this tournament, the more comfortable he appears filling Jackson`s role.
Substitute Tyrique George sealed the 3-0 scoreline five minutes into the seven minutes of added time with a powerful strike that the Tunis goalkeeper couldn`t keep out.
