Chelsea have already played 39 games this term.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior admitted he is concerned for the welfare of his squad as he tries to strike a balance between getting the best players on the pitch and managing a packed schedule.
Three days on from beating Wolves 3-1 at Molineux, Chelsea will return to Premier League action when they host Leeds at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues then travelling to Championship side Hull City in the FA Cup on Friday.
Chelsea have already played 39 games in all competitions this season, with their workload particularly noteworthy given this season followed the London club going all the way at the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer, playing seven games en route to capturing that title in the United States.
Rosenior has rotated regularly since taking over from Enzo Maresca last month, and his decision to do so nearly backfired in their most recent home game, a 3-2 win over relegation-threatened West Ham in which they had to come from 2-0 down.
Asked about managing the workload, Rosenior told his pre-match press conference: “Yeah, it’s difficult. You’ve seen we’ve rotated a lot, which you need to do. You need to do it in this stage of the season.
“I mentioned this before. Bearing in mind the players’ long-term schedule, they’ve played all the way through the summer. They’ve had no pre-season. They’ve been magnificent. So, you have to try and freshen up the team in the right areas, mentally and physically.
“You have to be really, really well prepared tactically to give the players the best plans and the best solutions to the problems you face. So far, I have to say, in my time with them, the players have been great in achieving that.”
Pressed on whether he has concern for player welfare, he added: “I think so, to be honest. The thing now with these lads, they are fantastic professionals, on and off the pitch. They look after their bodies so well. They live for their job, which is so important. Most of them are used to it now.
“Through their careers, they’ve played in, whether it’s Copa Americas, or Mamadou’s [Sarr] won the Africa Cup of Nations, or the World Cup, or the Euros, or now the Club World Cup. Their bodies are used to it, but you want the best product possible.
“To have the best product possible, you want the best players on the pitch. We have to find a way that we can find a balance between the two.”
Chelsea could be without Reece James for the visit of Leeds, Rosenior revealing the versatile defender is dealing with an illness.
His absence would be a significant blow as Rosenior looks to celebrate a month since his first match in charge with a victory. Chelsea sit fifth in the Premier League tablea point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, with Rosenior having won each of his four league games in charge.
Reflecting on his first month at the helm, Rosenior said: “It takes time, but in terms of what’s been really encouraging and really pleasing is that the players have taken on so much information, so many team meetings, not many training sessions and they’ve put into practice what we’ve wanted in the main. So yeah, pleasing, pleasing signs but we need to continue in that vein.”
