The Premier League season is not yet ten games old but already we head into the second international break of 2023/24. Chelsea's stars will already have started to jet around the world to compete for their national sides in friendlies, hopes of reaching their next continental tournament and more.
The consequence of signing talented players is that you must do without them in moments such as this but even so, Mauricio Pochettino still has plans to improve his squad in the next ten days or so. They will surely be entitled to a few days off but the Blues head coach has the intention to keep pushing his side towards improvement with a difficult run forthcoming and Arsenal the first test following the return of league action.
Following his side's win over Burnley, Pochettino explained to football.london that he intends to spend a lot of time at Cobham.
He said: "To improve players, try to recover players from injury in two weeks, we're going to spend working in the training ground. Of course different mood from the last time, last month. With a victory, it is much better. I think pushing, keep pushing and working hard to try and be better."
Pochettino will be able to work closely with a crop of stars on the verge of making their full return from injury. Having been close to returning against Fulham, Carney Chukwuemeka was back among the matchday squad against Burnley. With much of his competition away with their national side's, he will have an opportunity to prove his fitness and qualities to the head coach.
Likewise, Reece James returned from injury in the build to the match against Burnley, but was suspended for the match after using 'improper and/or insulting and/or abusive words and/or behaviour towards a match official' following defeat to Aston Villa. He will be available for the match against Arsenal later in the month and now has two working weeks to get up to speed for the clash.
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Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah have already been in partial training, and now have an opportunity to worth with the likes of Thiago Silva, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez in Chelsea's backline. The duo have not featured so far this season, but will have an opportunity to both learn and impress with Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill on international duty. Disasi having only earned his call-up on Monday to replace the injuryed Jules Kounde, as Malo Gusto was also elevated from the under-21 side to feature with the senior French squad.
Four members of Chelsea's starting lineup against the Clarets are available. Raheem Sterling produced the perfect response to not being called up by Gareth Southgate and joins Sanchez, Cucurella and Silva. The likes of youngsters Deivid Washington, Alfie Gilchrist and Alex Matos, who made is Chelsea debut against Fulham recently, can all help supplement training numbers too, with much of Chelsea's academy also on international duty.
Pochettino will also have the chance to spend some time with Chelsea's injured stars, though some will not be featuring on the training pitch as they continue to undergo their rehabilitation programmes. The 51-year-old has already confirmed that Romeo Lavia will not be back following the international break, and the situation appears to be the same with long term absentees in the shape of Marcus Bettinelli, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana.
