After a summer of tireless activities in the transfer market, The Blues had to cut the squad of 42 people. Therefore, the problem now is not only balancing the books to comply with regulations on financial fairness.
Coach Enzo Maresca cannot use all 42 players at the same time, even though the number of tournaments Chelsea participate in is not small. Being pushed aside and having to train with the U23 team or youth team is something that not any player wants.
According to the current situation, Chelsea can field 3 separate starting teams in the Premier League and neither of them will be relegated. Maresca's first choice will be good enough to compete for a top 4 spot, the second team will compete for a place in the European Cup and the third team will fight for relegation.
That is Chelsea's strength at the moment in terms of squad depth. However, Maresca could not satisfy all 42 players. Some players were signed when Thomas Tuchel was in charge, others came under Graham Potter and some have just joined under Mauricio Pochettino.
To be fair, Pochettino has created some motivation for Chelsea players at the end of last season. Perhaps, only then can The Blues stabilize until the coaching rotation stops and Chelsea give enough time to the manager.
But now Chelsea have reached the limit that Maresca could face with too many dissatisfied players. And dissatisfaction will affect the overall mood of the club. Players who are unstable and not in the plan may be Maresca's biggest problem.
The Blues' board are being too extreme and cruel, although Maresca has tried to deny this. Chelsea players seem to be a true commodity in the transfer market.
Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell have contributed to Chelsea to some extent but both have to suffer the same fate. They are no longer in Maresca's plans and must find a new destination. Until the 2024 summer market closes, how many more Blues players will be in a similar situation?
"Sterling and Chilwell are training separately. The situation of both is quite clear. We have a big squad and we can't give them all time to play. If they want to have more minutes to play, it is best to leave. I have tried to share in the most honest way," Maresca said.
