Pedro hails Alvaro Morata as Chelsea welcome striker back in from the cold

All the leading strikers in the game have a great sense of timing, and Pedro believes Alvaro Morata's return to form could prove to be just that for Chelsea.

The importance of Morata ending his 13-game goal drought against Leicester on Sunday cannot be underestimated.

Not only did his first half strike help Chelsea progress to their 23rd FA Cup semi-final; it provided the lift both he and the team sorely needed.

For if Chelsea are to salvage a disappointing season with a trophy and a top-four finish, then they need their club record buy to play a major part.

"Alvaro is a very good player and a very important one for us," Pedro said. "It's important for him to score and to help the team. The goal will give him more confidence from now until the end.

"It has come at a good moment for us. It's perfect for the team. I hope he will stay in this form from now until the end."

Morata, who joined from Real Madrid for an initial £58million, has come under heavy criticism for his lack of contribution over the last few months and rightly so.

All forwards go through dry spells during the course of a campaign: much-lauded predecessors Didier Drogba and Diego Costa had their struggles on occasion.

But for the majority of appearances, they would not let a lack of goals have a negative impact on their work for the team. The same can't be said for Morata.

The 25-year-old can justifiably point to sustaining a back injury as part of the cause, but his passive resistance to opposition centre-backs while picking up needless yellow cards for dissent is less defensible.

For most of the first half at the King Power Stadium, it looked like more of the same - and then Willian put him in the clear with a fine pass.

In what could be the turning point of his and Chelsea's season, he raced away and finished superbly past Kasper Schmeichel.

Following that one strike, Morata transformed back into the player Chelsea saw before the winter by making intelligent runs, competing with his markers and being a constant threat.

It underlined the suspicion that a lot of his issues were in the mind rather than due to physical pain or a lack of talent, although Pedro made a point of saying his team-mate is now 100 per cent fit.

When asked if things had been tough for Morata because of injury, Pedro replied: "Yes (it affected him) but now he's okay. He is in a good moment and good condition to fight and to play every game."

Chelsea have a maximum of 10 games left in their season and there is an incredible amount at stake.

Conte's second year at the club will be deemed a failure if the reigning champions fail to achieve the minimum target of qualifying for the Champions League via a top four spot.

Tottenham and Liverpool are in danger of disappearing into the distance as they currently sit five points and seven points ahead respectively.

But Chelsea host both sides at Stamford Bridge, starting with Spurs on April 1. Admittedly Liverpool is not until the penultimate fixture, but they have the distraction of a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City to worry about which could easily affect their League results.

Then there is also the prospect of Chelsea lifting the FA Cup, which remains a possibility after Pedro scored the winner against Leicester in extra time following Jamie Vardy's equaliser.

Chelsea will face Southampton, whose main priority is avoiding relegation, in the semi-final next month.

Conte's men haven't been performing well enough to take victory for granted, but it's far more likely than if paired with the other two remaining clubs in the competition, Tottenham or Manchester United.

So no wonder Conte was wearing a rare smile as he discussed Morata finding the net once again.

"For sure, as you know very well for the striker, it's very important to score," he said. "At the same time, I'm very pleased with his performance because he played a good game, he showed great character and that he is strong. I think this goal will be very important for the future for us."