Gary Cahill has battled gallbladder condition his entire career after heading Chelsea a step closer to title

Gary Cahill’s brave header to help Chelsea take their latest step towards the Premier League title was all the more impressive given that the defender spent the weekend in hospital with a condition that has affected him through his entire career.

The stand-in Chelsea captain missed Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final after being admitted to hospital on Friday due to a problem with his gallbladder that at one stage had the defender fearing he would miss the rest of the season if it needed removing.

However, after being released from hospital, Cahill returned to training and starred in Chelsea’s 4-2 victory over Southampton on Tuesday that puts them within four victories of a second Premier League title in three years and a first under Antonio Conte.

“It was a nightmare week for me personally,” Cahill said after the victory at Stamford Bridge. “I was glad to be back on the pitch, glad to be back out there fit, the rest is history.

“I was in [hospital] for one night. I had a viral infection, a problem with my gallbladder. It was causing me a lot of pain and that's why we went to check it all out. They kept me overnight to keep an eye on everything. Thankfully I got rid of the pain and everything, and recovered, but it was just too late [to make the semi-final]. I'd not trained one minute, I'd not eaten anything and I'd lost a bit of weight. It was obviously not ideal me going into the game. I was disappointed with that, but I'm happy I'm over that now and am back out on the pitch.

“It's something I've had since I was small. I have been aware of it and it is just a matter of keeping an eye on it. The worst thing at the time was if they had to take it out or whatever and that would have obviously set me back for the season. I was happy that wasn't the case. It's just a matter of keeping an eye on it and monitoring it.”

Cahill has learned to cope with the condition to an extent that he sometimes knows when it is flaring up, which has led him to play through the pain barrier with the help of painkilling tablets.

“If you get it in midweek, it tends to be ok. But a night before a game is not ideal because you can be up all night and that's not great,” Cahill added. “But it was this on top of the viral infection, so when I was in there they tested my blood and wanted to keep me in.”

Rather unusually, Cahill retained the captain’s armband even when club captain John Terry came on the final moments of the match, with the regular skipper rejecting Cahill’s offer to give it to him. Cahill has deputised for most of this season with Terry dropping out of Conte’s first team, but after joking that, unfortunately for him, the role does not come with a pay rise, he showed interest in retaining the job next season once Terry leaves the club.

“I have enjoyed it,” he said. “I have had it for a lot of this season. I have really enjoyed the added bit of pressure on my shoulders.

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“Maybe it's given me another challenge, a bit more responsibility. At the same time I still try and prepare for games the same way, do everything the same. Nothing has changed in that respect. But maybe an added challenge and responsibility.

“I tried to give it [the armband] to John when he came on, but he is superstitious and I don't think he wanted it.”