Maxence Lacroix is now a regular for France, with the Chelsea defender becoming a consistent presence during the country’s Nations League campaign and this international break.
More importantly, his place in Zinedine Zidane’s starting XI further justifies Chelsea’s decision to spend big on him during the summer transfer window. Arguably, the second best signing of the summer new importance for the national team could come at Chelsea's cost though.
Lacroix now returns to Chelsea from international duty having played more minutes than most of his teammates, and that workload will need to be managed carefully rather than overlooked as the focus shifts back to the Premier League.
The centre-back played the full 90 minutes in three of France’s four matches during the break, a demanding schedule for any player, particularly one Chelsea are relying on to anchor a defence that has already struggled this season. The only match he did not start was against Italy, although he was still called upon for the final five minutes.
There is nothing alarming about Lacroix being so heavily involved with France; if anything, it reflects how highly he is rated and the trust the coaching staff have in him. But the backing of France legend Zinedine Zidane does not make the physical demands disappear, and three full matches in quick succession is a significant workload to carry into a busy run of Chelsea fixtures without careful recovery management.
This is where Xabi Alonso faces a genuine balancing act. Lacroix has become an important part of Chelsea’s backline, but throwing him straight back into every match risks adding to his fatigue at exactly the point when the risk of injury increases.
At the same time, Chelsea’s defensive issues this season create an obvious temptation to rely on a proven option rather than rotate simply for the sake of caution.
The sensible approach is a measured one: build in rest when the fixture list allows it rather than waiting for a muscular injury to force the issue. Chelsea do not have European fixtures to worry about, giving Alonso more room to manage his squad. We have already seen enough Chelsea defenders pick up injuries this season to know that ignoring workload concerns can quickly backfire.
Lacroix does not need wrapping in cotton wool, but a few smart substitutions or a rotation starting with Bournemouth this weekend could go a long way towards protecting a player Chelsea can ill afford to lose right now.
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