This time of the season is rather peculiar for football fans around the world: some of their clubs' players are training as normal whilst a number are off competing for their nations in respective tournaments.
The same goes for those of a Chelsea contingent. Most Blues players are currently back at Cobham preparing for the fourth round FA clash against League One outfit Plymouth Argyle this weekend.
However, each of Thiago Silva, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy .are embroiled in World Cup Qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations campaign respectively, as all three aim to take their countries to glory on the international stage.
With all of this said, football.london rounds up all the international action involving the aforementioned trio who are all expected to miss the upcoming FA Cup game due to their current international allegiances.
Edouard Mendy makes yet another final
From the risk of unemployment, to the cusp of greatness on the club and international stage, the rise of the Senegalese shot stopper has been nothing short of a fairy tale.
Not much noise was made when Chelsea signed the keeper in the summer of 2020 for a mere £22million. Some even warned that signing an 'unknown quantity' like the Rennes goalkeeper at the time would make for a repeat on a smaller scale of the £72million move for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
How wrong they were.
24 Premier League clean sheets so far coupled with his average clean sheet percentage per game of 45.8%, and Chelsea's defence has vastly improved with this Ligue 1 addition.
The 29-year-old helped the club already reach the FA Cup final and Champions League final, and his winning mentality has now been transmitted over to his international duties.
Senegal, one of the favourites coming into this year's AFCON in Cameroon, have reached the final after their 3-1 semi-final win against Burkina Faso.
Mendy missed the start of the tournament due to contracting Covid, but his importance in this game was there for all to see, including a point blank save from Boureima Bande early on in the first half.
Aliou Cisse and co will now face either Cameroon or Egypt in the showpiece event on February 6, with Mendy and Liverpool's Sadio Mane pivotal if their country are to win the African crown.
Thiago Silva- solid once again
The Benjamin Button of football keeps on playing game in, game out- not just for Chelsea but also his home nation Brazil who look to hammer home their advantage in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.
Silva, has featured in both games during this period for the Selecao, including a 1-1 Ecuador draw and the most recent 4-0 thrashing of Paraguay - a contest where reported Chelsea target Raphinha scored once again.
The four points collected from the two games means that the South American giants sit rosy at the top of the table with 39 points collected from 15 games played.
Two games remain for Tite's side including battles against Chile and Bolivia - games that will be taking place at the back end of March.
Christian Pulisic answers Tuchel's £310million attacking conundrum
The United States international has struggled with his form and confidence in west London this season, but his performances on the international stage tell a different story.
This juxtaposition in form was there for all to see once again with the 23-year-old registering a goal in his side's 3-0 win over Honduras in the North American side of the World Cup Qualifiers - a win that cements their second-placed position behind high flyers Canada.
Pulisic only played 25 minutes on his favoured left wing position but his impact has shown all that Tuchel may need to re-think the right-wing-back demand that he has made of the £60million man.
Chelsea's No.10 has only played 1,057 minutes this term with most of these appearances coming at wing-back and on the right of an attacking front three - but as demonstrated once again during this mini international period, cutting in from the left is his speciality.
