Many English football fans may have been a bit unclear how good a player Pedro was this time last week.

They could have been forgiven their underestimation of the Spaniard because despite his almost unrivalled medal collection, the forward has rarely been one to make the headlines or revel in the limelight.

During his Barcelona career Pedro was merely a supporting character in the great Lionel Messi stage show.

Nevertheless the diminutive 28-year-old arrives at Stamford Bridge having won the World Cup, two European Championships, three Champions Leagues and five La Liga titles among other trophies.

A goal and an assist on his debut quickly dispelled any doubt that he could enhance a Chelsea squad which was so impressive last season. Jose Mourinho’s much acclaimed phone call all but vindicated in 30 Premier League minutes.

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Not everyone at the Bridge will have watched the former Barcelona man’s instant impact with quite such satisfaction as Mourinho and the Chelsea fans.

First of all the transfer was the final nail in the coffin of the short Chelsea career of Juan Cuadrado.

The Colombian this week agreed a loan deal with Juventus after failing to break into the manager’s first team and is unlikely to return.

Pedro’s arrival in the squad however, would also appear to have serious implications for a more established Chelsea star who had previously been considered a major asset.

Brazilian playmaker Oscar looks to be the man who has slipped furthest down the pecking order.

Oscar’s problem is a tricky one in that out of all the attacking midfield options available to Mourinho, he is the one who most represents a luxury commodity.

Eden Hazard, who’s work rate has been openly criticised by the manager in the past, has endured a sluggish start to the campaign but remains the club’s most valuable player.

Cesc Fabregas is the master of the assist and the man credited as being the missing piece of the jigsaw that made Chelsea champions last term. That leaves Oscar fighting with compatriots Willian and Ramires, both of whom offer a more energetic presence on the pitch.

While Oscar is a superbly gifted young player, he offers little physical threat compared to the other two. The boss is not short on creativity, therefore the 23 year old’s stock has fallen.

He is also the victim of the champions’ current tactical versatility.

For games when the Blues are expected to dominate, Fabregas will occupy a deeper role alongside Nemanja Matic leaving three available slots for creative types to support the lone striker.

Hazard and Pedro will take two, with Willian the most likely starter in the final space. Away from home, or in games where Mourinho anticipates a tight contest, he will add another enforcer alongside Matic, often Ramires, Mikel or even Kurt Zouma.

This means sacrificing an attacking midfielder to allow Fabregas to operate at the most advanced point of a midfield three.

This will see Willian relegated to the bench and Oscar omitted from the squad entirely. Even more worrying is the speculation linking the club to Paul Pogba this week.

Accommodating the French superstar would see Fabregas’ integration into the “creative three” become permanent, lessening the chances of game time even further for Oscar.

The slender Brazilian has enjoyed a successful spell since arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 and was favoured by Mourinho until recently.

Under Roberto Di Matteo he formed part of an impressive attacking midfield trio including Hazard and Juan Mata.

Perhaps now though, his time is up and he will need to move on to re-establish himself as a first choice playmaker at a top European side.

His age means the majority of his career is yet to come and his ability promises potential to achieve great things. Jose Mourinho’s phone call last week, however, has seemingly given him a hurdle he needs to overcome one way or another.

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