Versatility is all very well and tactical flexibility is a brilliant skill to have and option to use, but unless it's built on the foundations of something solid, Chelsea will keep putting themselves in tough situations.
No, they weren't meant to foresee Reece James' injury against AC Milan, but the warning signs have been there for two summers, and if last seasons struggles without James and Chilwell weren't reason enough, more fool them.
Thomas Tuchel went into the campaign well stocked on paper, but the fragility of the depth wasn't truly explored or addressed and it cost Chelsea a true title challenge, or at least a more sustained period at the top.
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With James and Chilwell the first two choices as wingbacks and Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso the back-ups, the options were good. Strong choices with capable rotation options. For a team looking to defend a Champions League crown and make a sustained fist of winning the league for the first time in five years, capable back-ups aren't enough.
Tuchel quickly realised that two ageing, slow and much less dynamic - if they could be described as that - wingbacks weren't going to push his team onto greater things. Chelsea didn't have much other choice though. They sold academy player of the year Tino Livramento to Southampton for just £5m earlier that summer and didn't get in a new left wing-back.
As Alonso and Emerson Palmieri both left this summer under Tuchel, a lesson was learnt. Marc Cucurella was bought in. Though this is primarily for competition at wingback, the solid foundation allows his versatility at centre-back to be fully utilised. Much like Azpilicueta, if Chelsea had another wingback then his own ability to move around and be a rotation option would be useful. If he is Potter's main choice for fullback or wingback in place of James though, the manager will be struggling.
James is one of the most impactful Chelsea players in the squad. In the last days of Tuchel the tactics appeared to be give it to him as much as possible and hope he does that magic thing again. Under Potter the balance has been better, so when that magic thing does happen it's finished off by teammates or part of a wider scheme.
Without James Chelsea are missing a big part of their team, and football.london understands that his injury is worse than first thought and could put his World Cup place in doubt with just four weeks until the midseason break for the competition.
If Chelsea had prepared for this situation then Livramento might already have 30 league appearances to his name and look a good option to come in for James right now. Take out his injury that ended his season early and he would be right in the mix for a spot on Gareth Southgate's plane to Qatar. In the end, £5 million was all Chelsea got for him.
The length of James' injury lay-off is currently unknown with him due to see a specialist, but if it does take him out of action until after the World Cup, which is an ironic boost in some senses as he has time to recover, then sorting out the issue in January becomes a serious option.
Chelsea tried to get Jonathan Clauss over the summer as well as Denzel Dumfries, Achraf Hakimi was looked at previously when Livramento was sold. Now, despite the youngster having not yet returned from his own damaging knee injury, Chelsea will have an option next summer to sign him for £34 million. It would be a risk on a 19-year-old, but an equally big risk would be holding out and having a lack of genuine wingback options as back-up for another year.
In terms of other players Chelsea have, Dujon Sterling as a loanee is a wildcard and was a player liked by Tuchel but never truly trusted. Tariq Lamptey, who thrived at Brighton under Potter, may also appear on a list of possible options. Speaking about the former Blues defender after a game against his previous employers last season Potter said, "As soon as you speak about him I'm instinctively smiling because it was that type of performance.
"You cannot help but enjoy Tariq's performance tonight. Tactically we set up a little different to allow him the freedom to attack their backline which he did. The guys in midfield helped him do that, he did really well, great to see him enjoying his football and great to see the crowd respond to that. It was really nice."
Also at Brighton Potter used Leandro Trossard at wingback. He has been linked with a move to Chelsea after the change of management and is a versatile option for the role, though he would come more under the rotational player in that position than a genuine back-up category.
Benjamin Pavard was another target pursued by Chelsea this summer, his name might come up in conversations should Potter and Todd Boehly want to address the issue in January and not wait for the summer. He may be more likely to remain at Bayern Munich though as he said over the summer: "I still have two years of contract, I still hope to win many titles.
"I'm very happy at FC Bayern. If I were to move one day, it certainly won't be to Dortmund, even though I respect their fantastic fans. I'm good in Munich. I know Germany very well, I played in Stuttgart, which was a big family with amazing fans. I was a kid and became a man there thanks to them."
Chelsea's long-term failure to plan has left them in a similar spot to last year, though Potter is unlikely to persist with square pegs in round holes like Tuchel did with Azpilicueta and Alonso in that system. There will be lots that the Blues do lose from James' absence, but the other options they currently have do also bring their own qualities as well.
Getting the most out of them until an informed decision is made is the next task, but sorting out the right sided issue for the future isn't far behind.
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