Chelsea's youngsters face their biggest test against Lille - can they do it when the pressure is on and they're expected to win?

Jose Mourinho struck a nerve when he declared himself “worried” about the performances of his former club Chelsea in the big games.

Maybe not with head coach Frank Lampard, who was already anticipating bumps in the road for his young squad, but certainly with his assistant Jody Morris who took to social media to mock Mourinho’s comments.

But since Mourinho’s warning, which came before he took over at Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea have won one of their last five games and face perhaps the biggest of their early tests against Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

On paper, Lille should represent perfect opponents for the Blues. The French club will arrive at Stamford Bridge with seemingly nothing to play for, as they are bottom of Group H of the Champions League and cannot qualify for the Europa League.

But the pressure is on Chelsea. They must win to be sure of progress to the knockout stages of the competition and avoid the criticism that would accompany any perceived failure.

There is also the issue of Chelsea’s home form. They are yet to win at Stamford Bridge in Europe under Lampard and have not led at half-time, in the Champions League or Premier League, since the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United in August.

As much as Morris may not have liked his comments, Mourinho was right when he suggested that, for all the many positives of their start to the season, Chelsea’s young team still have a big point to prove.

They have performed well in defeats to Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool, but Tuesday night represents a chance for the Blues to prove they can get over the line.

Asked how important high-pressure games are for the development of his youngsters, Lampard said: “They’re crucial because I think you can be defined as an individual and as a group by success and what success looks like.

“And this means going into the next stage of the Champions League, which is a place we want to be in and a platform for the players to play.

“I used to love big nights as a player and they are the ones that stick in your mind. So it’s an opportunity now for the team, particularly the young players, to make a mark.

“I like the pressure of this game being a knockout and we are all talking about it. If we’re going to do anything good here, then we are going to need lots of these nights.”

Lampard is well aware of the fact Chelsea are still looking for their first Champions League victory at Stamford Bridge, following defeat to Valencia and a chaotic draw with Ajax.

He also agreed that his team have so far saved their best performances for the road, saying: “We wanted more in our home games and quite a lot of it has been chance conversion. Away from home, we’ve gone and racked up some goals and some really good performances.

“But when you play well at home, but don’t score for 45 minutes, which has been our problem, you kind of add pressure on yourselves. We need to take our chances, especially ones that come early in a game.

“I’m well aware of the fact we haven’t won at home (in the Champions League) yet and I think it would be a good achievement (to get through). I know there’s expectations we should get through a group, I get that, but it is a tough group and there’s still work to be done.”

Antonio Rudiger is ready to return to Chelsea’s defence to partner Kurt Zouma, with Fikayo Tomori ruled out with a hip injury. The German international has only played 45 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers this season, but Lampard expects him to hit the ground running.

“You only speak as you look at him and he looks fit and ready to go, and I know he’s hungry,” said Lampard. “In terms of the people building him up, probably rightly so. He’s a good defender.”

Chelsea have struggled to keep clean sheets and conceded three goals in their defeat to Everton at the weekend. Zouma believes he and his team-mates have become too quiet, but suggested Lampard has urged them to take more risks rather than trying to play it safe.

“He just wants us to be more responsible in the games, take more risks,” said Zouma. “That’s the message because he knows the quality we have in the squad, very talented players.

“Maybe (we have been too quiet). You need to find the reasons why you give goals away and don’t keep clean sheets. It is about communication and tactically, maybe being in the right position at the right time. We are working on that and Tuesday is another chance.”