Danny Drinkwater made his Chelsea debut in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory (Picture: Getty)

Danny Drinkwater admits the start of his Chelsea career ‘could not have gone any worse’ and says waiting to make his debut for the club was ‘killing him’.

The Blues signed Drinkwater from Leicester City on deadline day for a fee of £35million but the England international had to wait almost two months before making an appearance.

The 27-year-old, who won the Premier League during his five-year spell at the King Power Stadium, suffered a serious calf injury in training after joining Chelsea.

But Drinkwater now hopes to put the difficult period behind him and begin to make a major influence at his new home in west London.

‘I don’t think [the last few months] could have gone any worse,’ Drinkwater told Chelsea TV after starting the Carabao Cup victory over Everton on Wednesday evening.

Drinkwater, who signed from Leicester City, has been struggling with a calf problem (Picture: Getty)

‘I have been trying to take the positives out of it. My calf feels good now but I was massively frustrated. The waiting game was killing me.

‘It’s been good to watch the team and it has helped me to settle in as well. It has given me a feel for how they actually play. But the sooner I can get more involved now, the better for me.’

Drinkwater’s injury has also been a major frustration for Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who has been without a number of major players in recent weeks.

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The former Italy boss admits he was taking a risk by starting Drinkwater but was content with his display as Chelsea progressed to the last-eight of the competition.

‘I think he has a lot of room for improvement,’ Conte said of his £35m summer signing. ‘I preferred to give him the opportunity to play from the start because he needs to play, to find the right tempo and rhythm of the game.

Blues boss Antonio Conte (Picture: Getty)

‘I knew I could risk something by playing him, but I think it was very positive for him to start the game and to know that now I can count on him for part of the next games.

‘Maybe he will be 100 per cent fit after the international break, but we must have patience. We are also recovering N’Golo very well and this is good news for our midfield.’

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