Nkunku may not be troubling the Premier League line-up – the perils of competing with Cole Palmer at No 10 – but as Enzo Maresca continues to insist, he does indeed have a place at Chelsea. Currently, that is as their top scorer in all competitions.

Nkunku’s second-half strike here took him to 11 goals, more than the seven scored by Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. The 27-year-old would have added more were it not for Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Muller doing his best impression of a brick wall.

Chelsea will continue to shoot down suggestions that Nkunku is unhappy, though some frustration would be understandable. He is a fine finisher, having scored in every Conference League game played by Chelsea this campaign, the two-legged play-offs included. It is largely with his help that the club have maintained a 100 per cent record throughout.

Nkunku was needed here as Heidenheim put up more of a fight than Gent, Panathinaikos and Noah combined in Chelsea’s previous walkovers with Mykhailo Mudryk confirming the victory late on.

Heidenheim have their own Special One in Frank Schmidt, their manager who was appointed on September 17, 2007 – three days before Jose Mourinho resigned at Chelsea in his first spell while Shim Mheuka, the academy striker on the bench for the Blues, was not even born at the time.

Mykhailo Mudryk scored a fine second half goal, with Christopher Nkunku also on the scoresheet

Mudryk curled into the top corner having been denied a first half penalty after a VAR review

Enzo Maresca made 10 changes to his team as he continues to roll out a B-team in Europe

The Blues ended the game with 10 men as Cesare Casadei was sent off with just seconds left

They love Schmidt here, still calling him their ‘king’ while sitting 15th in the Bundesliga. The opening 10 minutes resembled shooting practice for Marc Guiu but the raw 18-year-old, a £5m summer signing from Barcelona, took none of the four chances which came his way.

His fifth opportunity to score in the 17th minute was blocked by the feet of Muller, who then flew to his left to deny Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from 20 yards. It was clear to Chelsea that Heidenheim were not here to fold as flimsily as their last Conference League victims Noah.

Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen joined the party when he used a strong right hand to thwart Paul Wanner, Heidenheim’s biggest talent on loan from Bayern Munich at the age of 18.

When Nkunku broke through after 28 minutes, he tried to scoop the ball over Muller, only for the lob to fly behind. The chances were there in abundance but the composure, less so.

In the 33rd minute, Mudryk dropped down after being sandwiched by Patrick Mainka and Omar Traore as Chelsea believed they had won a penalty. Jadon Sancho stood with the ball by the spot, hopeful of his first goal in English football in 18 months. But after a visit to his pitch-side monitor, referee Serdar Gozubuyuk decided it was a dive.

Before half-time, Nkunku danced through the Heidenheim box. The slaloming was a thing of beauty but, yet again, Muller was there to keep it goalless. Tosin Adarabioyo likewise came close in stoppage time when he sent Dewsbury-Hall’s cross wide.

It was five minutes into the second half when Chelsea finally broke through as Sancho cut back the ball and Nkunku scored by controlling with his left and finishing with his right for 1-0.

Heidenheim would have equalised were it not for Jorgensen producing a sensational double save to deny Wanner and Leonardo Scienza. Chelsea wrapped up the win in the 86th minute when Mudryk blasted Sancho’s pass into the top corner for 2-0 and game over. They did, though, end the game with 10 men, with Cesare Casadei sent off late on.