Failure to qualify for the Champions League could still see them punished, though. Graham Potter’s side are 10th in the Premier League and on Friday night they face local rivals Fulham, who defeated the Blues last month.
Chelsea now have a monstrous squad of 33 players having welcomed 16 new arrivals over the last six months. Potter said of keeping everyone happy: “I think challenge is the right word but I’m not complaining about it.
“It’s exciting and a test for me, of course, and the staff. But it’s an exciting one. We’ve got a lot of really good players and we have to create an environment where there is healthy competition and players can push each other.”