Chelsea: Armando Broja vows to fight for his position and reveals desire to win a trophy this season

Chelsea striker Armando Broja says he is only getting started after coming off the bench to help his team reach the semi-final of the Carabao Cup. Broja was thrown on after midfielder Enzo Fernandez fell ill during the game.

The Albanian battled well and was in line to take the final penalty before Matt Ritchie missed his kick, allowing Chelsea to progress without Broja needing to step up to the spot. In a dramatic win, Broja, who only returned to full fitness this season after nine months out due to a knee injury, admitted he was feeling better and said there is more to come from him. 

He told LondonWorld: "Obviously it's not easy and I have been out of the game for quite a while. It's not the greatest of feelings being out and being on the sidelines but I'm happy to be back with the team, coaches, players and everyone. 

"I'm trying to get back into my full rhythm. There is still a lot more to come. This is not the final Armando and I have got a long way to go. I just need to keep on now and obviously keep my head up. The manager has been helping me out a lot so I just need to get back on my full rhythm and kick on from there."

Chelsea have won only six league games and sit in 10th going into this weekend's matches. Being alive in the Carabao Cup means there is a still a chance they could win a trophy and qualify for Europe. Armando, who smiled before answering, admitted that Chelsea's history is about winning and said that is exactly what he and his colleagues are aiming for.

He added: "Obviously we want to keep pushing for the league, which is the most important thing, but this was a chance for us to win a trophy. We want to win a trophy and that is what Chelsea is all about. This is a real opportunity for us and we have to wait for the draw but this is an amazing opportunity for us to push on and get a trophy and hopefully push on for the league as well."

There have been times when fans have questioned whether the team is improving under Mauricio Pochettino, especially being stuck mid-table after a spend of almost a billion pounds. Injuries have not helped but defeats at home to Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Aston Villa have led to serious questions regarding the manager and the progress being made. But Armando says everyone in the team is pulling in the right direction and that it is only a matter of time before everything comes together. 

The 22-year-old added: "We have had a few unfortunate results but we have been playing really good football...everyone is behind the manager and we are just trying to to stick to the game plan every game. And, obviously, like I said before, some unfortunate results and other stuff have led to loses, but we are trying to turn it around and try and kick-start things." 

French forward Christopher Nkunku made his long-awaited debut in the game against Newcastle last night. His return to fitness gives the team another weapon of attack and raises the level of competition for places within the team. Broja, who admits he faces that competition, added that he is just glad to see him back playing after his recent struggles.

He said: "We got into some really good opportunities and we need to keep pushing forward, and the manager picks the teams and everything but we're glad to have Christopher back and we just need to keep going and keep the motivation going. We need everyone really."