Graham Potter is still acclimatising to life as Chelsea boss having taken charge shortly before the international break.
The former Brighton and Hove Albion coach was hired as Thomas Tuchel's replacement and is getting to grips with his new squad having had little time to work with them or see them in action. A behind-closed-doors friendly against his old employers gave him a chance to do so, with potential new ideas trialed.
Potter is working with a lavishly assembled squad that was put together in the summer at huge expense. Huge fees were spent on the likes of Wesley Fofan and Raheem Sterling as the Blues look to get back to winning silverware under their new owners.
These are the latest news lines coming out of Stamford Bridge.
Chalobah handed new role
Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah could still have a future at the club after being given a new role by manager Graham Potter, despite being linked with an exit from the Blues in January.
Chalobah has made just one appearance all season, playing the full 90 minutes in the 2-1 victory against Leicester City last month, after the summer arrivals of Kalidou Koulibaly and Wesley Fofana pushed him further down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge.
Following successive postponements to Premier League fixtures against Fulham and Liverpool, coupled with the arrival of the two-week international break, the Blues faced Brighton & Hove Albion in a friendly last week in order to give players some valuable minutes.
The Athletic have reported that Chalobah featured in the midfield role typically filled by Jorginho during the friendly against Brighton, which may well have opened up an alternative route for the player to pursue should he aim to resurrect his career with the Blues.
Milan star remains a target
AC Milan legend Paulo Maldini has played down talk suggesting the Italian giants could lose Rafael Leao to Chelsea and stressed that the striker wants to stay in Milan.
Leao emerged as a potential transfer target for the Blues this summer after plundering 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions last season. And the Portuguese forward has carried that rich vein of form into the new campaign, where he has bagged six league goals in as many games.
The 23-year-old's impressive returns are unlikely to deter Chelsea's interest - even though the Londoners' previous attempts to thrash out a deal for the sought-after striker were emphatically knocked back by the Italian champions.
Lukaku makes future clear
Any hopes Graham Potter may have had of bringing Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge have been dealt a blow, with the Belgian all but ruling out a return.
Lukaku rejoined Chelsea in a club-record £97.5m transfer in 2021, having helped Inter Milan win the Serie A title. However, after scoring just eight league goals under Thomas Tuchel last term, he clinched a loan return to the San Siro.
Lukaku scored on his second debut for Inter, netting in a 2-1 victory at Lecce in Serie A. He has been restricted to just three games so far this season due to injury, but appears to be happy back in Italy.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via The Independent ), Lukaku has no desire to return to his parent club. An extension to his loan has been mooted as a possibility, potentially keeping him with the Nerazzurri until the end of the 2023-24 season.
