Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has rotated little between his three preseason matches. Do not mistake this for him knowing his best XI already.
Sarri is not a manager who likes to rotate. The most common argument against that is that he simply did not have a strong enough bench at Napoli. But for a manager who professes “boredom” by the transfer market and believes a coach must coach, that is a weak argument.
The truth is a manager that wants to rotate will rotate regardless of the quality of the bench. Case in point, Rafa Benetiz who did both at Chelsea and Napoli (often too much).
In three preseason matches, Sarri has changed little. The only real changes have been brought about by World Cup players returning. The belief is that Sarri is trying to get the squad used to his style. That is a fine belief but if he will not rotate during preseason, he will not rotate during the season proper. But do not take the lack of rotation as a sign of things to come. Sarri is still very much unsure as to what his best XI is.
Take the back four, for instance. Cesar Azpilicueta has locked down right back over Davide Zappacosta, but the remaining three spots are free game. All of the four center backs used so far have done well and Gary Cahill is yet to return to lay a claim. Any of those five could end up as starters yet. On the left, neither Marcos Alonso nor Emerson has earned the top billing. Alonso seems to be favored for now but that could easily change.
Up top, Alvaro Morata is getting the nod primarily because he is the only senior striker around. He simply cannot put everything together for a solid string of performances. When Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud return, both could easily take the starting striker role.
But the midfield and winger spots are where things become truly interesting. Jorginho is a guarantee, as are N’Golo Kante and Eden Hazard when they return. But after that things get messy.
Both Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ross Barkley are playing lights out football right now and are practically unstoppable. Pedro and Cesc Fabregas are not reaching the same heights but look much more like Barcelona players than they ever have since leaving the Spanish side. For those counting, that is four players fighting over two spots.
Which players win out could influence not only the XI but the starting formation. With Fabregas on the pitch, the Blues have leaned towards a 4-3-3. With the more defensive Danny Drinkwater on the field (or even Tiemoue Bakayoko), the squad has taken a more 4-2-3-1 shape. That could be the formation the Blues take on when Kante returns with the Frenchman and Jorginho in the pivot.
Then, the band of three is anyone’s guess outside of Hazard. Hudson-Odoi and Barkley are earning starts at the moment, but someone would have to go into a less natural position.
Sarri may have an idea as to what his best XI is, but he is by no means certain. The lack of rotation in itself means little towards the ultimate XI. Sarri is still figuring things out and nothing will be set in stone until Kante and Hazard return to the Blues.