Reports earlier this week claimed that there was still “no sign of imminent return” for Reece James, who has been out since suffering yet another hamstring injury in our preseason match against Real Madrid six weeks ago.

Chelsea are a club with many - perceived and real - problems, but arguably the biggest likely won't be solved anytime soon.

According to TBR Football, there are as many as five players who have been placed on a shortlist of potential alternatives ahead of 2025. The standout names are said to be Barcelona 's Jules Kounde, who could also be used at centre-back, and the more attack-minded Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen.