Chelsea escaped by the skin of their teeth, with a 2-1 away win against League One side Lincoln City this week. They went into the break a goal down and had the supporters fearing the worst. But fortunately, the Blues did manage to score two quick goals after the break and then hang on for the win.
That was not the performance of a team headed for a successful season though. They have far tougher tests ahead and if this is the sign of things to come, struggling against League One opposition, then not much should be expected from this team.
The only real standout performer on the night was Facundo Buonanotte, scoring a goal. It looks like he could be a decent backup option for Cole Palmer, who could be out for several weeks, having made his groin injury worse by playing three times in the space of a week.
The issue is, Buonanotte is not going to be playing this weekend. The game is against his parent club, Brighton & Hove Albion. This means that Chelsea will be without both of their number 10s. It remains to be seen who will fill in that area of the pitch.
Chelsea handed major blow for Brighton & Hove Albion match
The most likely solution is that Enzo Fernandez will play in that number 10 role. Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos will be the midfield two behind him.
It does feel like that midfield trio does lack a bit of creativity and adventure. But this is what is available to Chelsea at the moment. And you never know, perhaps with a bit less defensive responsibility on his shoulders, Fernandez could do a bit better going forward.
One thing is clear though, this weekend's game is going to be a very tough test for a Chelsea team that is completely out of form. At the back, they have been shockingly bad without Levi Colwill. And going forward, they are without their best player for the foreseeable future.