Chelsea brace for a demanding Champions League phase, with big clashes against Barcelona, Benfica, and Bayern Munich testing their squad depth.
The biggest question mark on Chelsea this season is how they handle simultaneous Premier League and Champions League campaigns.
They won’t have the luxury of playing one stronger eleven in the Premier League and a second eleven in Europe – as they did last season with the Conference League.
Matches at home to Barcelona, Benfica and Ajax will need to be respected. As will away trips to Bayern Munich, Napoli and Atalanta.
There is also the long haul travel involved when facing Azerbaijani side Qarabag.
The one opportunity to rest players might be when former defender David Luiz’s visits Stamford Bridge with his new Cypriot club Pafos.