Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has pointed to his ability to rotate as reason to be believe his side can cope without the suspended Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana for their visit to Liverpool after the international break.
The defensive pair both picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season in Sunday’s ill-tempered 1-1 draw at home to Nottingham Forest, meaning Marseca will be without two players who have started all seven league games so far for the trip to Anfield.
“We have 25 first-team players,” he said post-match.
“All clubs have around that number. I don’t think it’s something just for us.
“The way we try to do things is to try to share minutes with all of them. The reason is because they deserve it.
“The ones that played [on Thursday against Gent] did well and probably deserved [to play] again, but there was another 11 that did a fantastic job against Brighton. We try to use all of them in the best way.
“When you have an injury or red card, like now we don’t have Wes and Marc, we are going to use some of the guys that today were not in the first 11.”
Despite defensive fragilities, Chelsea sit fourth after seven games and are the Premier League’s second-highest scorers behind Manchester City with 16.
Maresca added: “When we started the season, to think by the second international break you are fourth and the team is playing in the way we are playing, learning to play different kinds of games, for sure it’s something I am very happy.
“Seven games, 14 points, it’s important. But for me it’s also important to see the way we got 14 points.
“It has been different ways, different kinds of games; home, away, a team like [Forest] that sits back, a difficult team that tries to be aggressive. You use different weapons.”