Graham Potter may be able to call upon three new players as Chelsea look to get their first win of 2023. It’s a tough challenge without or without squad additions as Manchester City await on Thursday but every little helps for the man in charge currently.
Enzo Fernandez of SL Benfica during the UEFA Champions League match between Benfica v Maccabi Haifa at the Estadio Da Luz© Photo by Eric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images
Chelsea’s squad looks hopelessly short of confidence and ideas with evident gaps across the pitch including defence, midfield and attack. The struggles in the league, one win in seven, have seen a jolt in action for the January transfer window with intervention seemingly required to lift the Blues up the table.
Currently sat in ninth and behind London rivals Brentford and Fulham Chelsea are off the pace in the race for the top four but are only five points off Tottenham in fifth with a game in hand. It’s far from season over but fans are calling for a changing of the guard with an ageing spine.
Three of the four defenders picked against Nottingham Forest were over the age of 30 and Jorginho as the shield in front of them is 31. The lack of pace on and off the ball was evident in a cauldron at the City Ground and, as has been the story of the season when away from home, Chelsea couldn’t keep up.
Having scraped through for a point the task gets tougher with the trip of Pep Guardiola’s side that are trying to cut the gap to the top of the table. With the champions possessing pace, youth, physical presence and skill throughout Potter will be able to call on at least three new players if needs be.
Having already signed David Datro Fofana, who was present in Nottingham in the stands, an additional trio have been added to the first team section of the men’s side on the Chelsea website. Teenagers Omari Hutchinson, Lewis Hall and Bashir Humphreys are all now included amongst the senior team.
Hall has made his debut having played last season in an FA Cup tie, he has since made his first start – the Carabao Cup defeat to Manchester City in November – before his first league appearance, starting against Newcastle in the 1-0 defeat several days later. Hall has been training with the squad under Potter for a while now after being one of the outstanding players for the Under-21s this season despite only being 18.
Hutchinson, 19, has also been in matchday squads and was included on the bench against Brighton in October. He hasn’t yet featured but was impressive in the mid-season friendly against Aston Villa. Humphreys, 19, has been impressive alongside Hall and has also started to feature more regularly in first team training. He made the bench against Bournemouth but didn’t get onto the pitch.
Chelsea could also still sign Enzo Fernandez in time to feature at Stamford Bridge. The Argentine, who has agreed personal terms and given the green light to moving to SW6 amid discussions over payment structure for an expected £106million deal between Chelsea and Benfica, has until 12pm on Wednesday, January 4 to sign if he was to be included.
This could, in theory, allow up to five new members of the first team squad to play in the game, though Fofana is also yet to be added to the squad list.
Source: Football London
