Chelsea still has a sizable enough roster, despite sending 15 players to the World Cup, to field a reasonably good eleven in the friendly, ideally setting the stage for a successful performance against Bournemouth on December 27.
Chelsea will benefit greatly from the addition of key players who have recovered from injuries that prevented them from participating in their countries’ World Cup squads.
Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and Ben Chilwell all suffered devastating injuries in the early going of the year, and all three defenders want to be fully recovered for the start of club play.
Videos of Fofana working out at Cobham and Chilwell while recovering from a hamstring injury have already made the rounds online. Given his electrifying form prior to the knee injury sustained at the San Siro in October, James is the most prominent of the injured three making a comeback for selection.
The 22-year-old, who dominates the right side by providing defensive protection, goals, and creativity, has developed into a crucial component of Chelsea’s strategy in recent years. Upon his leave, all of those qualities were gone since Potter was unable to maintain the improvement in play that had been seen following his appointment in September.
Without James, Chelsea only managed to win one of their six Premier League games, losing the other four while only managing one goal in the 4-1 loss to Brighton.
For Potter, whose options in that department were starting to become limited, Fofana’s return in defense will come as a huge relief. The French defender, who Chelsea paid £70 million to sign from Leicester in August, had his first few months at the club cut short by a knee injury. He is expected to play against Bournemouth.
Carney Chukwuemeka, a summer acquisition who cost Chelsea £20 million from Aston Villa in July, might also make an impression during this special time. Chukwuemeka has not yet made a start for Chelsea. Under Potter, the 19-year-old midfielder has so far displayed flashes of his brilliance while sitting on the bench, but he provides a wildcard possibility in a crucial position.
Along with the returning players, veteran players like Jorginho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will also play a significant role because they were able to take some time off during the World Cup.
Even if Qatar will continue to draw the majority of focus until the 18th of December, Chelsea’s preparations beginning the following week give an opportunity for some unheralded names to alter the trajectory of their seasons.