Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea tenure has been relatively plain sailing to this point; the Blues have only lost to title challengers Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League, surpassing expectations to sit third in the table, and they have predictably cruised in the Conference League against inferior opposition.
A Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle in October is the only significant blip, but that will pale into insignificance if the Italian is able to deliver a return to the Champions League.
The major challenge facing him now, however, comes off the field as he tries to juggle a squad that is brimming with talent and top-level stars who expect to be playing every match.
Although he denies it is the reality, Maresca’s solution so far has been using ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams, as he fields two entirely different line-ups in the league and cup. But as rumours of unsettled players begin to swirl, how long can that really go on?