Finally Graham Potter will be managing his first Chelsea league match as the Blues travel across London to Selhurst Park.
The manager has had two cancelled games and one completed Champions League fixture but now he awaits a mountain of 13 games before the international break-up for the winter World Cup, and attention is firmly back on club football again.
Potter, who ironically will have his first game against one of Brighton's oldest rivals, knows the importance of a good start to build confidence heading into a period that will make recovery and overturning poor performances tough.
READ MORE: Graham Potter handed triple Chelsea blow as N'Golo Kante ruled out of Crystal Palace clash
In that essence the 23-day lead-up to the first league match was an important mini-pre-season for Potter to prepare in and ready himself and his team for the upcoming storm of games. Working with a team that was overhauled by Thomas Tuchel over the summer, Potter has some high quality resources, but he isn't expecting to look too similar to the previous regime.
"I think everybody has got a slightly different idea of football," Potter replied when asked if his Chelsea would look different to Tuchel's. "I don't get too wound up about that. It's more a choice of what we all make and the job then is to make our choices work.
"Huge respect for Thomas and his teams. I'm not in the business of comparing myself to him or anyone else. I'm just going to try and put a team out on the pitch that is recognisable, something the supporters are proud of, and ultimately a winning football team."
Potter is in the unenvious position of replacing a firm fan-favourite mid-season with a squad lacking in confidence and with structural issues throughout, but the tactically flexible manager isn't going to be caught up in copying the successful Tuchel system that has been left behind, the 47-year-old has his own plans for Chelsea's squad.
Even in his first match Potter's own 3-5-2 was fundamentally different from Tuchel's own system despite having elements of similarity in it. That is the nature of inheriting a squad built primarily for the use of a back three but Potter's proven record of overcoming obstacles like that will make his team selection interesting to see against Crystal Palace.
READ NEXT:
- Graham Potter has been told why Thiago Silva has to start for Chelsea against Crystal Palace
- Wesley Fofana return, Kai Havertz change – What Graham Potter and Chelsea should do vs Crystal Palace
- Kalidou Koulibaly reveals intriguing reason for making Chelsea star a better player
- Graham Potter slammed for shock Raheem Sterling use ahead of Crystal Palace vs Chelsea
- Graham Potter's Chelsea targets established with Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte example
