As rumours continue to circulate regarding the identity of Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor at the end of the season, Guus Hiddink is steadily building the champions back to something resembling their recent glory.
Italy manager Antonio Conte is the man currently being heavily linked with the Stamford Bridge post, but while Hiddink has refused to entertain the idea of staying on himself, his recovery job will have many fans hoping for a U-turn.
It was the same scenario when he was last in charge, succeeding Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2008-09, when he guided Chelsea to the Champions League semi-finals and FA Cup glory.
Both could be on the cards again this season, with Chelsea still very much in their last-16 European clash with Paris Saint-Germain and through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Everton.
Should he manage significant progress on those two fronts then it would salvage at least something from one of the tamest title challenges in English football history, although the Blues are also quietly edging up the table in the Premier League too.
With Watford, Liverpool and Stoke City all in action on the Wednesday night, victory for Chelsea at Carrow Road would lift them up to eighth in the table – their highest position since the opening day and only five points adrift of Manchester United.
Saturday’s come-from-behind victory over Southampton stretched Hiddink’s unbeaten streak in the Premier League since taking over to 10 matches and, remarkably, was the first time that Chelsea had won back-to-back league games all season.