MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea have built a supremely talented squad under Todd Boehly but their raft of incomings has seen a number of stars excluded from their Champions League squad.
Graham Potter has struggled to get the West London club firing since he arrived from Brighton earlier this season but has the opportunity to impress in Europe tonight.
Borussia Dortmund host the struggling Premier League side who seemingly do not yet know what their best XI is.
Ahead of the first leg of their last 16 tie in Germany tonight, we take a look at the options available to the 47-year-old manager.
Making sacrifices
Europe’s elite competition only allows clubs to submit a 25-man squad, as well as only three new players, leaving Potter with a decision over of his eight January signings to include.
Mykhailo Mudryk, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Felix were the men chosen and the unfortunate Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was removed alongside the departing Jorginho.
This meant Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Noni Madueke would all miss out on the chance to compete for a winner’s medal.
Badiashille and Madueke have both featured in the Premier League since their arrivals but the two-time Champions League winners will have to rely on some of their more senior players against BVB.
In defence, Potter may have to call on the expertise of Cesar Azpilicueta or Kalidou Koulibaly to provide some stability across a backline that conceded four goals in the group stage.
Hakim Ziyech will look to replicate the skill and speed of Madeuke, who started in the 1-1 draw with West Ham at the weekend.
Time for change
Potter has experimented with a number of different shapes during his time at Stamford Bridge and still seems unsure of his best formation.
The 4-2-3-1 has been seen on more than one occasion but this has come with some restrictions, particularly limiting the role of Reece James and Marc Cucurella at full-back.
On other occasions, Potter has opted to play with three at the back, freeing up that pair but leaving more space at the back for the opposition to exploit.
Tonight’s opponents Dortmund usually opt for a back four, meaning the head coach will likely set up in a similar shape to Edin Terzic’s side.
The Bundesliga giants like to deploy two attacking midfielders to push their opponents back, while Chelsea must find a way to prevent an overload in the middle of the park.
Winning the midfield battle will be essential if the Blues are to return to London with an advantage and it is expected that Potter will rely on star signing Fernandez to break up the attacking threat of Jude Bellingham and Co.
Injury woes
Despite their significant recruitment in the last few months, Chelsea are still without some key players as they approach a crucial stage in the season.
Edouard Mendy was a star in the Blues’ run to and eventual victory in the Champions League final in 2021, but an ongoing finger injury has ruled him out once again.
The absences do not stop there, with N’Golo Kante, Wesley Fofana and Raheem Sterling also regularly missing from the squad.
Kante had been an ever-present in the Chelsea midfield for many years and his relentless energy has been a significant miss in the heart of midfield.
Sterling’s continuous issues have seen Mudryk thrown in at the deep end since arriving and the Ukranian is yet to provide any goal contributions in a blue shirt.
Chelsea have capable replacements, but there can be no denying that their injury woes in the 2022-23 campaign have had a big impact on their form on the pitch.
A reality check
All arguments aside, Chelsea have an incredible amount of squad depth and Potter has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal.
The likes of Mudryk, Fernandez and Felix all possess the quality to make something happen out of nowhere but they are yet to show many glimpses of world-class talent for their new side.
Many athletes in the Chelsea squad are capable of playing more than one position and their fluidity is something that the Solihull-born coach should consider when setting out his tactics.
Between Mudryk and Felix, the pair have tallied 27 goal contributions in all competitions this season for Shakhtar Donestsk and Atletico Madrid — but only the latter has scored for Chelsea.
Both thrive in wide areas and are more than capable of delivering a teasing cross or unleashing a devastating strike when they are at their best.
So while there will be key players missing tonight, there is still expectation on the five-time Premier League winners to deliver on the biggest stage and add to their success in Europe.
