Once the news had filtered through of Reece James' knee injury, it did not take long for a recently had debate to arise again.
James' absence, which is projected to be at least eight weeks through ligament damage, hands Graham Potter one of his sternest challenges quite early into his reign. He is trying to replicate the defensive security and creative influence of arguably his most important player.
That in itself feels like an almost impossible task to achieve, even in the short term. Anyone who had watched all of Chelsea's games up until the moment James awkwardly landed at the San Siro last Tuesday would have listed the wing-back as one of the top performers so far.
READ MORE: Kepa Arrizabalaga uses Ruben Loftus-Cheek Chelsea inspiration in Aston Villa masterclass
His marauding runs down the right flank have created goals for others and helped him score some as well. His assurance going both ways demonstrates a player at the top of his game, one of the best in the world. On Sunday against Aston Villa, James was missed, although Chelsea did win the game 2-0.
Potter started off with Raheem Sterling in a right wing-back role before switching twice in the game as both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and substitute Cesar Azpilicueta took on the challenge.
None of the trio, for their own attributes, can rival the complete nature of James, who so seamlessly glides across the pitch — maturely going about his business either curling a cross into the box or stifling some of the continent's best-attacking threats.
Chelsea fans have previously discussed the need for a stronger backup to James in that area, which at the moment appears to be a 33-year-old Azpilicueta, who started in that position against Wolves a week earlier to good effect.
Although Azpilicueta's professionalism and commitment will never be questioned, his ability to fulfil the demands of that position in a congested schedule is a big ask.
There are similarities to the problems Spurs have faced in squad building over recent years with their star man, Harry Kane, and the challenge of getting quality backup for a player who is likely to play a majority of minutes when fit.
You could argue Spurs have resolved this issue with the recent addition of Richarlison from Everton. They have gone through years of struggling to find the balance between good competition who are also humble to spending large stretches on the bench given the excellence of Kane.
But like James, Kane has also shown a fragility in picking up harmful injuries during points of the season, ones that have left a gaping hole of inspiration that previous Spurs coaches have struggled to fill.
With James' knee issue, it continues a frustrating trend of picking up injuries that have kept him out for a few months, halting his meteoric progression on the pitch. In late December of last year against Brighton, he picked up a hamstring injury that ruled him out of action until the end of February. This setback is at least going to take him out of nine games before the World Cup, with his dream of going to Qatar with England in doubt.
Heading into the January window, there will likely be calls to invest in a wingback who can offer competition to James, even if matching his quality would likely cost a record fee. There have been targets touted in recent windows, be that Sergino Dest, Jonathan Clauss, Denzel Dumfries and Kyle Walker-Peters.
There are internal solutions that could be uncovered by Potter too. Dujon Sterling continues to gain praise on loan in the Championship and has shown the versatility to play as a wingback on either side, whilst 20-year-old Dion Rankine is probably not too far from gaining regular senior football after shining in the development squad.
There is also a supposed buyback clause on Tino Livramento, which becomes active in 2023, however, the Cobham graduate who was sold to Southampton last year is currently recovering from a severe cruciate ligament injury.
The hope will be Potter's frequent rotations can conjure enough good performances until the break for the World Cup next month, though this feels like an issue that might just be kicked down the road.
READ MORE
Christian Pulisic could not avoid Chelsea 'circus' as World Cup prompts transfer solution
- Chelsea given Reece James injury boost as timeline discovered amid surgery decision
The Chelsea fixtures Reece James could miss through injury: Manchester United, Arsenal, Man City
Graham Potter makes Reece James Chelsea statement ahead of Aston Villa clash
