Alan Shearer has identified six problems encumbering Chelsea with less than a week to the start of the new season.
The assessment from the Premier League legend will worry Blues fans – particularly after yesterday’s Community Shield defeat.
Yet it only echos the sentiments of manager Antonio Conte who said last week this would be the ‘most difficult’ season of his career.
It represents an amazing change of outlook at Stamford Bridge where just three months ago the club were celebrating winning the title and making an appearance in the FA Cup final.
These are the issues Shearer has highlighted…
1. Failure to strengthen
Shearer has pointed to Sir Alex Ferguson’s mantra that you must strengthen even when you’re at your strongest and that Chelsea have failed to do so.
‘If his Manchester United side won the Premier League, Fergie used to sign two or three top players in the summer just to freshen things up,’ he wrote in his column for The Sun.
‘I think they still need at least two or three new additions between now and the end of the transfer window.’
2. Short of numbers
‘They have also let six of last season’s title-winning squad leave, including John Terry and Nemanja Matic, with Diego Costa seemingly soon to join them,’ wrote Shearer. ‘There is no doubt they look short.
The lack of squad depth was also highlighted yesterday by former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.
3. Eden Hazard to miss start of the season
Hazard was arguably Chelsea’s best player last season – and certainly so from an attacking perspective.
‘What doesn’t help is the fact that their best player, Hazard, is set to miss the start of the season due to a fractured ankle,’ said Shearer.
The Belgian isn’t expected back until mid-September.
4. Champions League return
European football returns to Stamford Bridge this season which will put an additional strain on the squad.
Shearer reckons: ‘Chelsea have 13 or 14 very good players who will match anyone. But with Champions League football this season, they are going to need more than that if they want to compete on all fronts.’
The former Newcastle striker already thinks Antonio Conte’s side will be relying on luck to see them through.
‘They would need a lot of luck with injuries to get through the campaign and be successful with the squad they have at the moment.’
5. Over reliant on Batshuayi and Morata
Costa looks certain to leave having been told by Conte he doesn’t feature in the Chelsea manager’s plans. With the Spain international notching 20 goals in the Premier League last term that’s a big loss.
The only two recognised strikers remaining at the club are Michy Batshuayi and summer signing Alvaro Morata.
‘How the Blues fare this year will also largely depend on the form of Morata and Batshuayi,’ said Shearer.
‘The Blues paid a lot of money for Batshuayi last summer and he had a positive end to the season, which should stand him in good stead this time around.
‘But it’s still a big ask for him or Morata — whose confidence was hardly helped by missing a penalty in yesterday’s shootout — to replace the goals Costa has scored for Chelsea in the past three years.’
6. Midfield problems
Chelsea, much to everyone’s surprise, sold Nemanja Matic to Manchester United this summer. While Tiemoue Bakayoko has been signed to fill the gap, Shearer sees the area as an issue.
‘I really don’t understand why they sold Matic.
‘One, they’ve let him go when Bakayoko is not yet fit. And two, they have let him join a title rival.’
Chelsea hope that Bakayoko will return by the end of August.
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