Chelsea have endured a difficult summer as a wealth of departures has left their squad lacking significant squad depth, with Antonio Conte making it very clear he wants more money to spend in the transfer market.
Things became at risk of boiling over last weekend when the defending champions suffered a shock defeat to relegation favourites Burnley at Stamford Bridge, losing 3-2, raising the pressure ahead of this weekend’s crucial clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
Red cards issued to both Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas in last week’s defeat have given Conte further issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Wembley, especially as Eden Hazard and Tiemoue Bakayoko both remain unavailable.
David Luiz may have to fill-in in midfield this weekend but the Blues have been handed positive news by the fact that Hazard and Bakayoko both featured in a 8-0 friendly drubbing over QPR behind closed doors and the pair could be set to return sooner than expected.
Hazard injured his ankle whilst on international duty with Belgium in July and it was initially reported he would be unavailable for around three months, whilst Bakayoko arrived from Monaco in the summer nursing a knee problem after undergoing surgery earlier this year.
Whilst the pair are extremely unlikely to play any part in the clash against Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side this weekend, it does hand the club a crucial boost ahead of a huge run of fixtures over the course of the next month or so.
Following the clash with Spurs at Wembley, Chelsea face stern tests against Leicester City, Everton, Arsenal, Stoke City and Manchester City before the end of September- which shows that Conte’s side need to pick up their form immediately.
A positive result against Spurs this weekend would raise morale significantly and the imminent return of Hazard and Bakayoko will provide a similar boost, as both stars are likely to play a huge part in any success that Chelsea enjoy this season.
Bakayoko is of course yet to make his debut following his acquisition earlier this summer and his partnership alongside compatriot N’Golo Kante in the centre of midfield is something that fans can certainly look forward to.