The international break is terrible for Chelsea fans but offers opportunity for the players. The squad is not yet decided as six battles rage this break.
It takes a new manager roughly two thirds of a season to see exactly what they want to do with the squad. In the meantime, many things remain in the air. For Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea, that comes out to six battles currently. The international break offers a chance for players both home and abroad to pull ahead in their respective contests. So who has a fight on their hands?
1. David Luiz versus Andreas Christensen
This is by and far the most obvious battle in the squad. Luiz has returned to the starting XI but many believe he is the player most holding the Blues back. Christensen is his most direct competition and is the man who should be starting in the eyes of many.
Luiz likely has the starting spot now because he has been there since the start of Sarri’s tenure. Sarri seems like the type of manager who favors players he has worked with more, so Luiz wins out there. But it is hard not to see how Luiz is struggling with the zonal defending. He is great when Chelsea has the ball, but when they do not, he fails at his primary function and has already cost Chelsea goals.
Christensen, as proven towards the end of last season, also has mistakes in him. But it is much easier to teach a young player to improve than an older one. Plus, the only way Christensen removes these mistakes from his game is by playing them out of it. Offensively and defensively, the swap would be negligible at first. But the ceiling on Christensen should give him the edge over the entire season.
Both have the luxury of remaining with Chelsea during the international break. And though practice will become less intense and frequent, the extra reps cannot hurt either player. Furthermore, one is sure to feature in the Europa League in rotation. But the goal is the first choice XI for the big games and that battle is still going on.
2. Pedro versus Willian
It looked as though Pedro had this battle locked up after starting the first three matches. But then Sarri threw a curve ball and started Willian against Bournemouth. He stated that he believed Willian would be better suited to that match.
Pedro seems to be a natural fit for Sarri’s system. The Spaniard has not looked more like his Barcelona self while at Chelsea than currently. His directness has been vital to finding the back of the net several times. In fact, he remains Sarri’s highest scoring player if preseason is considered.
Willian offers a more possession based approach. The Brazilian will not take as many shots on goal but will rather look to set his teammates up more often. It appeared before Bournemouth that Sarri considered him a left winger, but now that line is blurred.
Pedro still has the edge in this one based on form. But Willian is the type of player who will turn it on suddenly and stay that way for a few weeks. If Pedro cools off, it would not be improbable to see Willian start more often. One of the two is sure to see Europa League rotation, but like Christensen and Luiz, the goal is the starting XI for the big games.