Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri baffled fans with his selection for their clash with Cardiff .
The Blues were well below-par before the international break as they lost 2-0 at Everton in a real blow to their top four hopes.
Sarri will be after a response in south Wales and made some big calls with his line-up.
Chelsea's talisman Eden Hazard was the most glaring omission as the Belgian started on the substitutes' bench.
Hazard has once again been Chelsea's standout performer this term but Sarri opted to go with a front three of Willian, Pedro and the misfiring Gonzalo Higuain.
That also meant there was once again no start for Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The teenager was called into the England senior squad during the international break and made his first start in the win in Montenegro.
Remarkably, he is yet to start a game in the Premier League and his wait continued in south Wales.
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The pair were joined on the bench by World Cup winner N'Golo Kante as Matteo Kovacic and Ross Barkley were preferred in midfield.
Unsurprisingly, the line-up did not go down well among Chelsea fans.
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On his team selection, Sarri said: "At the moment, Kante has played 50 matches this season and Hazard 47.
"They played with the national team, Hazard for 187 minutes and Kante for 175. I think it is time to rest."
He also explained Hudson-Odoi's absence, adding: "I had the whole international break with Pedro and Willian in training so I decided to start with them."
Sarri finds himself under pressure in his debut season at Stamford Bridge with his side struggling for form, particularly on the road.
Manchester United's win over Watford on Saturday left the Blues four points adrift of the Champions League places.
Chelsea are back in action in midweek when they take on Brighton but it is unclear why that encounter would take preference over the trip to strugglers Cardiff.
And Blues fans have made their feelings clear to boss Sarri.
