Thomas Tuchel is desperate to avoid repeating his Saul Niguez mistake by demanding too much of the midfielder too soon.
Saul, 26, arrived at Stamford Bridge on an initial loan this summer on the back of a La Liga triumph with Atletico Madrid.
The Spaniard is a seasoned performer for club and country but his debut for the Blues did not go as planned, with Tuchel hooking him at half-time after a shaky first 45 minutes of Premier League action.
Saul has only made one appearance for Chelsea since his nightmare against Aston Villa, featuring in a Carabao Cup victory over Dean Smith's side later in September.
Once again, he had to settle for a spot on the bench in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Southampton as Tuchel instead handed minutes to Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley.
But the Blues boss insists Saul "does not need to worry" and will have more opportunities once he has fully adapted to the demands of Premier League football.
"He was very, very close to start," said Tuchel when asked why Saul has not featured in the top flight since his debut.
"In the end I decided against him because I thought to put him in another high pressing match, against an opponent pressing so high in the centre of the pitch, would it be fair to say, ‘Okay now prove it and let’s see if your adaption has gone further?’
"I hesitated a little bit. He does not need to worry. Just work hard and adapt and the chances will come. We have only 11 to give a chance. I would like to see it in a positive way.
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"If you turn it around of course you have eight players who we didn’t trust today from the beginning. This is a reality. I cannot hide from this reality."
Chelsea paid Atletico £4million to sign Saul for the season and can make the transfer permanent next summer for £30million.
Such a fee seems a bargain for a player who has spent many years honing his trade under Diego Simeone, but as Tuchel pointed out there is huge competition for spots in the Blues' midfield.
Saul has earned 19 caps for Spain but his lack of involvement at club level this season means Luis Enrique has left him out of the squad for this month's Nations League finals.
While this will no doubt come as a blow, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise, allowing Saul to spend two weeks getting up to speed.
This would put him in a good position to feature against Brentford after the international break while his teammates return from testing fixtures for their countries.
