First off, the chances of Petr Cech appearing in goal for Chelsea is somewhere between slim and none. It would take a coronavirus or injury crisis ruling out the three contracted goalkeepers for the 38-year-old to start a game.
But his inclusion as a non-contract player carries plenty of intrigue on a number of levels.
We have known for several weeks that Cech has been getting involved on the training ground. It was thought that he was merely acting as a mentor figure for Kepa Arrizabalaga and then Edouard Mendy.
The reality is that he has been training more regularly and word from Cobham is that he has looked really sharp.
It is worth remembering that Cech is younger than Willy Caballero and, as Frank Lampard said after last night's Champions League draw with Sevilla, he perhaps retired a little too early the season before last.
The Czech's inclusion is merely a precaution and does not impact his day job as the club's technical adviser, a multidimensional role that extends far from recruitment, but he will continue to train and be ready to step in if required.
“He is fit, very fit," Lampard said last night. "He is still relatively young. He finished playing when he possibly could have carried on.
"He has taken on his role at Chelsea very well and he has been very helpful to me and we work closely together. He trains fairly regularly and he is fit. Whether we will see him much this season, I am not sure. As I mentioned before, it depends on how the season goes with Covid and isolation.
"We felt it was a no-brainer to have Pete in the squad for that reason and it helps me training every day. When he is in such good form it can only help the goalkeepers we have to see one of the world’s best in the modern era among us.”
It was also interesting to note the absence of Danny Drinkwater from the submitted squad.
The 30-year-old is not part of the coronavirus testing bubble and has not been training with the first-team group but would it have made sense for the central midfielder, who earns £100,000 a week and is under contract for another 20 months, to be on the list as a similar precaution should the midfield be decimated?
"We had that space in the squad and we know this year, it looks like no other because of Covid and isolation so it was a very easy one," Lampard added of Cech's selection.
Very easy, a no-brainer.
That paints a bleak picture of how little is thought of Drinkwater that he is not even filling up one of the remaining spaces. Plenty was done to find him a move away during the transfer window but nothing materialised so he will left to wither from the outside until January at least.
