Following the culmination of the international break, Chelsea will enter the final stretch of their season. The Blues will harbour ambitions of moving up he Premier League table but sit 11 points away from the top four with some difficult fixtures to come, including nine in a busy April.
However, nobody would argue against their most pivotal games in the current schedule being the two matches against Real Madrid as Chelsea contest for a spot in the Champions League semi-final. Graham Potter's side meet Los Blancos in the competition for a third season in a row, with Chelsea taking the first tie before losing out in dramatic fashion last season.
There is little doubting the pressure that knockout competition brings but even as underdogs, Chelsea have the pressure of trying to salvage something from a disappointing season and Potter will hope to prove his ability to coach against the best, particularly with his in-game management being questioned against Everton.
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Chelsea produced performances of some merit in each match against Borussia Dortmund and managed to overturn a 1-0 deficit in order to progress to the quarter-finals. Against Carlo Ancelotti, he will face among his stiffest tests as Chelsea head coach.
The side Potter chose for Chelsea's last-16 second leg against Dortmund, is probably as close to first choice as Potter could opt for on that occasion, with the caveat his selection had the Bundesliga side in mind rather than Real Madrid.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, Enzo Fernandez, Mateo Kovacic, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz and Joao Felix ensured the Blues came away with a 2-0 victory on that occasion.
The injured Thiago Silva would be certain to make the side but appears like he could miss the first leg against Madrid, while N'Golo Kante will be pushing to prove his fitness in time to light up European competition once again.
With an array of players including Mason Mount, Cesar Azpilicueta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all in contention to return following the international break, Potter will have no shortage of rotation options building to the game against last term's Champions League winners.
With nine games in April and three within seven days ahead of facing European competition's most successful team, the Blues boss will have to make the most of his tools. While unlikely to be the ideal route, Potter could comfortably select a strong second XI to participate in matches if required.
If fit, Edouard Mendy would start in goal, while Marcus Bettinelli remains a strong back-up option. Recent Blues success has come via a back three which could comprise of Azpilicueta, Chalobah and Benoit Badiashile, although the latter is not available for Champions League selection and has proved his quality to do some of the heavy lifting in the Premier League. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Lewis Hall still have plenty to offer if required in wing-back positions.
The centre of the pitch can be home to Denis Zakaria and Conor Gallagher to provide a disruptive influence, while Mount can be a conduit between the midfield and forward line. Potter still has a mass of options in the forward positions with Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic all competing for a place in the second strongest XI.
Mudryk and Pulisic may be favourites given their recent involvement, with the American taking edge with the Blues boss being so quick to rely upon him this past weekend.
That would leave competition to lead the line where David Datro Fofana may just beat out Aubameyang after some exciting spells, while Aubameyang's future increasingly looks to lie elsewhere.
While the exercise, and the quality of players who still miss out on an XI, shows the sheer volume of players Chelsea have, it also means that Potter has the tools to ensure he can manage the fitness of his most important stars should he be required. This should ensure the best possible team takes the field at the Bernabeu on April 12th.
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