Five lessons from the Bundesliga ahead of Chelsea’s return

2. Injuries are understandably rampant

Part of the reason for the five subs rule was to avoid injuries. After all, the players were already fatigued from having played most of a season. They then lost fitness after all the time out of the game. Then, quite suddenly, they had to return and get fit quickly for a return to play.

Injuries were expected, but they have been rampant in Germany. Not all of them have been major, season ending injuries, but small niggles have popped up time and time again. It is very hard to play that much, go cool, and then suddenly have to go again. Christian Pulisic knows plenty about that roller coaster.

The Premier League has taken a lot of time to get players ready for the return to play. Frank Lampard will surely have kept an eye on how things have gone as Chelsea was already injury prone prior to the crisis. But injuries are still bound to happen. Some can be avoided or delayed, but others will be inevitable. So long as the clubs and players are mentally prepared for that, the show will go on.

3. Home and away are mostly just suggestions anymore

Part of the return to play is a lack of fans in the stadiums. While initially eerie to watch, it has gotten easier to watch matches without fans. But no fans brings up a brand new twist; no home field advantage.

The first match day saw just one home team win. The second, just two. The same held true on match day 30 (the last full match day at time of writing). For clubs that were relying on their home field advantage to see them into Europe/out of relegation, that trump card is gone.

Of course, that may work to Chelsea’s benefit. The Blues have been a much better team away from home than at Stamford Bridge, and if home field advantage is no more this season, that will only help the club in their pursuit of Champions League football. It may even help Chelsea with whatever nerves they have had at Stamford Bridge this season too.