There must have come a point in the past fortnight that Graham Potter cast his eye across the treatment room at Cobham and thought about what could be. Reece James at right-back; Ben Chilwell left-back; N'Golo Kante the one-man midfield; Armando Broja leading the line.
Unfortunately, such thoughts are rather fanciful for the Chelsea head coach. The reality is far more difficult as he prepares for what has become a hugely important game against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The Blues need a win – and it doesn't matter how it is delivered at Stamford Bridge.
"We have to assess all the players in terms of recovery and injury, whatever we have," said Potter in his pre-match press conference. "Then we have to be positive, move forward, and take a home game on. It’s another London derby against a team with dangerous players. So we have to be good and prepare the team."
