It was a pretty standard Graham Potter press conference on Tuesday afternoon. The usual, really: injury news, a bit on the last game, the opposition, so on so forth.
However, one thing stood out when listening to the Chelsea head coach speak before his side's Champions League group stage game with Dinamo Zagreb. The question on whether any of the younger players will be used in the dead rubber at Stamford Bridge.
"I don't think it is time to use young players for the sake of it," Potter said to football.london in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday afternoon. "We have to be competitive and respect the opponent."
READ MORE: Graham Potter gives Chelsea injury news update on Mateo Kovacic, Kepa and Kalidou Koulibaly
Is it really for "the sake of it", though? Can you imagine the experience these young players would get if they were to be used in the biggest club competition in the world?
It's something only a small handful of players get to experience in their careers. Whether or not they make it at the top level, they can say: "I played in the UEFA Champions League". That's something they can carry with them for the rest of their lives.
That's not all either. It's not all about the sentimental value. What it can do for their confidence and career progress should not be overlooked either. Furthermore, it can actually help Chelsea – just look at Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah, for example, who are now both helping the club's senior team on a weekly basis.
Potter talks about wanting to "respect the opponent". But Chelsea have already won the group and earned the right to rotate. The Blues have 10 points from their five matches and the fact they have nothing riding on the final game is testament to what they have achieved so far.
So – with that point being made – why can't they afford to relax on the final day of the group stage? Chelsea have just come out of October, a month where they played nine times in all competitions. There have been plenty of injuries that can be attributed to – although perhaps not solely down to – the congested fixture schedule.
There are now four games left to play until the World Cup starts later this month. One of them is a 12pm visit of Arsenal on Sunday. Right now, the Gunners are looking like the best team in the Premier League and Potter will surely want his key players as fresh as possible for the challenge.
Lewis Hall and Charlie Webster are already registered in the Champions League squad, so they are eligible to feature. Chelsea had until midnight last night to register any other academy stars to their squad. The likes of Hall, Dion Rankine, Eddie Beach and Zak Sturge all trained with the senior squad at Cobham on Tuesday morning.
Potter saying this "isn't the right time" doesn't make too much sense to me. In fact, I'd argue if this isn't the right time, is there ever really a good time?
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