Chelsea three things to look for against Porto: A foot in, but a foot out

2. How much rotation can Chelsea handle and still get through?

Tuchel has mentioned how this part of the season is when it is hard to break in to the team. At the same time, he has been fairly keen to rotate his squad, at least within the 18 or so that normally make a match day squad. Champions League squads are a little bigger which gives him flexibility, but the real question is how much rotation can be afforded for this match without risking the result?

2-0 with away goals is a pretty solid lead, but not an insurmountable one given how Porto played in the first leg. It would be a disaster to blow it, but it’s also a thin lead overall. That makes figuring at how much risk to take tricky. After all, if Chelsea has one foot into the next round, that leaves the other foot out of the competition.

Another thing to consider is just how packed the season is right now (and overall this year really). Moments to rest key players simply can’t be passed up though it may risk a match that can’t be lost. It is about short term risk versus long term reward.

And of course Manchester City in the FA Cup this weekend will loom over Porto. Chelsea will want all hands on deck against City. Chelsea will want to advance in that cup and ruin yet another “Pep Guardiola Quadruple!!!” season. The Blues will also have an extra day of rest compared to City and, though 2-0 isn’t the biggest lead, it is still better than City’s 2-1 where Dortmund has an away goal.

There will be a lot of balls for Tuchel to juggle then. Ideally, he can rotate heavily and still get past Porto. But above all else, the Blues have to advance and that can’t be put into doubt by rotating for rotating’s sake.