The international break has provided almost a fortnight of calm on the Chelsea news front, but the noise will soon start up again. Prior to the break, the Blues were ignominiously demolished 3-0 by Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium. As a result, they've now won only one of their last six Premier League games while, following a Champions League annihilation at the hands of PSG, have suffered four consecutive defeats for the first time since 1993.
As a result, Liam Rosenior is a man in the spotlight, under pressure to deliver Champions League qualification, with his team currently sixth. Well, with Manchester City and Manchester United their next two league opponents, climbing into the top five will be easier said then done.
Before then, coming up on Easter weekend, the Blues should rubber stamp their place at Wembley, hosting Port Vale, rock-bottom of EFL League One, in an FA Cup quarter-final. Rosenior will face some key selection decisions, with these three of his players under the microscope more than most.
Robert Sánchez
With those aforementioned massive league games against the two Manchester clubs coming up this month, Rosenior faces a big selection choice in goal. After continuous mixed performances from Robert Sánchez, usual number two Filip Jörgensen got the nod at Villa Park and the Parc des Princes, albeit he then did not cover himself in glory in the French capital.
Jörgensen then suffered a groin injury, hence why Sánchez was restored for the last three fixtures, albeit the Danish international is forecast to be back soon. So, who does Rosenior go for? Either-way, there is a growing zeitgeist that the Spaniard will need to be replaced as first-choice come the summer. Thus, Sánchez may have only a handful of matches left to prove himself but, if Jörgensen is available again, it'll be fascinating to see who is donning the gloves against Port Vale.
Marc Cucurella
As Chelsea's season has rapidly started to disintegrate, key players have been making their dissatisfaction clear, not so subtly suggesting that their futures may lie elsewhere. In an interview with the Athletic last week, Marc Cucurella had plenty to say:
"With Enzo Maresca in charge, we were more stable, because we worked together for 18 months...you need a process for every player to understand what we need to do. In our last months with Maresca, we played almost by heart."
The left-back subsequently admitted that a potential offer from his former club Barcelona "would be difficult to refuse", sowing the seeds of doubt about his future in West London. Since arriving from Brighton for £60 million four years ago, Cucurella has been an integral figure at Chelsea, racking up 154 appearances, very much one of the best left-backs around.
At international level though, he did start Spain's friendly win over Serbia last Friday night, but faces competition from Álex Grimaldo and Alejandro Balde to be Luis de la Fuente's starter come the World Cup in June. Thus, he will be ultra-motivated to perform at his best throughout April and May, but his performances will be scrutinised by supporters, as he potentially angles for a move away.
Enzo Fernández
The first player to suggest they may not be satisfied with Chelsea's current trajectory was Enzo Fernández. Following their Champions League exit at the hands of les Parisiens, the Argentine World Cup winner had this to say to ESPN: "Will I stay at Chelsea? I don't know... There are eight matches left and the FA Cup. Then there's the World Cup, and after that we will see."
Subsequently, Fernández added "I’d like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid; it reminds me of Buenos Aires. Players live where they want. I’d live in Madrid. I get by in English, but I’d be more comfortable in Spanish". These are pretty clear comments that the man who arrived for a humungous £106.8 million fee after the most-recent World Cup could push for a move following this summer's edition.
This has been Fernández's best season in Chelsea colours, scoring 12 goals across all competitions, racking up 3,661 minutes. He was also on target during Argentina's victory over Mauritania at La Bombonera last weekend. Well, given that his contract at Stamford Bridge runs through until 2032, Fernández would not be cheap, so this could become a problematic situation for co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. For now, supporters will expect the 25 year old to continue to produce on the pitch.