For all the positivity surrounding the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea remain an unknown quantity going into the new season.
The Blues have undergone more change than any other Premier League team this summer and it is difficult to know what to expect when they face Liverpool on Sunday.
Five signings have arrived at Stamford Bridge, 13 players have left and five have returned from loans.
Chelsea have lost a lot of experience and replaced it with a lot of unproven young talent, so there is no guarantee they will immediately return to the Premier League elite. What is certain is Pochettino wants them to play with more intensity.
The head coach has told his players to be “animals”, “fight for the badge”, “die for the club” and has put them through a gruelling pre-season fitness regime this summer.
The loss of £52million signing Christopher Nkunku to a knee injury is a major blow to Chelsea and has rocked their plans for the season.
Nkunku has been so important to what Pochettino has been building in attack in pre-season but is out for at least four months, meaning the Blues are just a Nicolas Jackson injury away from a full-blown crisis.
In his absence, unproven players such as Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk need to step up. Chelsea are likely to have the youngest squad in the Premier League this season, with an average age of 23.6. Last season’s youngest, Southampton, had an average age of 24.5.
Pochettino has warned the first few weeks of the season could be “tough”, as he bids to instil his philosophy on a young, new-look team and with tricky games against Liverpool and West Ham first up.
Chelsea are working hard to strengthen their midfield but they are trying to salvage a move for No1 summer target Moises Caicedo after Liverpool agreed a £111m deal with Brighton for him.
They had agreed to sign Tyler Adams in a £20m deal from Leeds, though that move is now off, and have bid for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, but missing out on Caicedo would be another huge blow and their transfer business in the rest of the window could be key to their hopes of getting back in the Champions League.
No European football means Pochettino will have more time to work in training and develop the young players, which should work to their advantage.
Chelsea’s transfer business in the rest of the window could be key to their hopes of getting back in the Champions League
There is also the bonus that the top five should qualify for the Champions League next season, depending on how English clubs fare in Europe this term.
Reece James will walk Chelsea out as captain on Sunday, after being appointed skipper following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta.
It feels like a big season for James, who needs to stay fit after injuries last season. It is also a big campaign for Raheem Sterling, who needs to prove to his critics that he can get back to his best.
Ian Maatsen is pushing to start on against Liverpool this weekend after impressing in pre-season and Sterling is not guaranteed to be in the team, but a strong start against his former club would help silence the doubters.
