N'Golo Kante's season hit another stumbling block when he picked up a knee injury against Juventus.
This isn't the first time he has picked up an injury with the Frenchman missing over 40 games due to injury in the last three seasons. With the Frenchman turning 31 in March it might be a smart idea to plan a replacement.
Until he returns, the Blues will be hoping to maintain the title push momentum in the festive fixtures but they have fallen off the mark since his injury just winning two of their five fixtures and keeping no clean sheets since.
The World Cup winner presence since has been missed in midfield and manager Thomas Tuchel has already alluded as such.
"I’m not so careful about bringing him back. It’s a very open relationship with him, he takes care about this, takes his time," Tuchel said.
He went on to say "In general he’s a careful person, takes care of his body, does not want to take risks.
"I agree he is a Superman. He is the guy who makes the difference. He is the guy who everybody in the whole world wants to have in his midfield.
"We miss him for a long time. Can we produce results and top performances without N’Golo? Yeah, we can, we’ve proved already, but it’s easier with him."
I'm pretty sure no one disagrees with Tuchel and him being a key man for the side when fit. The problem is how much can we now fully rely on him being fully fit week in week out? Here are three options Chelsea could look towards in the future.
Franck Kessie
Kessie's contract expires in the summer and will be highly sought after as every top club around Europe will be eager to sign him.
The Milan midfielder has continued to impress while in Serie A and has continued that form both into the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League.
Instead of waiting until the summer, Chelsea should make their move the moment the January transfer window opens.
Currently valued at £49.5million by transfermarkt, the Ivorian would not only be the perfect short-term replacement for Kante but once the Frenchman returns, could also partner him as well.
Competition for his signature will be fierce but what could work in the club's favour is teams may want to sit and wait until the summer and get him on a free transfer.
With Kante forcing the team to dip into the transfer market, their desperation should be seen as a strength in this deal.
With Milan finishing bottom of the Champions League group this week it might be in his eyes to move now and seek some European football elsewhere.
Wilfried Ndidi
One of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, Ndidi has helped transform Leicester City into a club that routinely features in and around the top six.
Essentially the replacement for Kante for the Foxes, the Nigerian is another one who has been linked with a move to a Champions League club.
Getting him away from the King Power Stadium won't be easy, especially as the Foxes are known to drive a hard bargain for their players.
And with Wesley Fofana a target as well, Brendan Rodgers won't be pleased with the Blues coming in for two key players.
But in Ndidi, Chelsea would be signing the ideal player to not only fill in while Kante is out injured but someone who can patrol the midfield and offer the back four a level of protection that only Kante can really provide in the current Blues squad.
Aurelien Tchouameni
The prize of the lot.
Deputising for Kante for France in the UEFA Nations League final against Spain, Tchouameni did not put a foot wrong all game and played well beyond his 21 years.
If that was his coming-out party, he has continued to shine while playing for Monaco and it's no surprise every big club in football wants to snap him up from Ligue 1.
Chelsea would be fools not to make a serious offer for the starlet and if they have to spend a bit more in January to prise him away from his current club it would be considered a bargain.
Transfermarkt may value him at £31.5m but realistically it will cost double, perhaps triple to bring him to Stamford Bridge as a player and not an opponent.
Make sure you have subscribed to CareFree Chelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews.
