Yan Diomande has handed coach Jose Mourinho a major quality boost in recent weeks.
The Defensa Central network report that Diomande has filled the void left by teammate Vinicius Junior, and even left him in an awkward spot ahead of his return from suspension in La Liga.
The numbers tell the story. The Ivorian completed six successful dribbles against Valencia alone. Vinicius managed only four across his entire run of matches against AEK Athens, Leipzig, Roma, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Elche and Rayo Vallecano.
With Vinicius about to return to league action, Mourinho faced repeated questions about the dilemma in his press conference ahead of the trip to the Mestalla.
The Portuguese coach told the media: "For me, the absolute priority is the team. I will never deliberately take a decision that could harm the group for the sake of one particular player."
He continued: "In the Champions League, this matter could have been raised, but when Vinicius becomes available, I will deal with the situation accordingly."
He explained: "I want the players to play every match focused on the present, even though, as a coach, I must have a different vision."
He noted: "My responsibility is to assess the series of commitments and matches that await us. The match against AEK Athens was a good opportunity for Vinicius, as well as to give Guler some rest."