So here we are, the first winter World Cup is upon us, and it is hard to predict what impact a congested start to the club season will have in Qatar.
The Blues again have heavy involvement in a major international tournament with 15 players either in the current first-team squad or on loan in the middle east with their nations. Graham Potter, like many of his peers, will be praying for key names to return unscathed after Christmas, as the Blues are already suffering the negative effect of a lengthy injury list.
Ahead of Sunday's opener between Qatar and Ecuador, we have tasked football.london writers Daniel Childs, Jake Stokes and Scott Clayton, to give their predictions for the World Cup, mainly focusing on those from Chelsea.
