It was telling that Thomas Tuchel used the caveat "at the moment" to describe Thiago Silva's importance to Chelsea following their win over Everton on Saturday.
Tuchel knows that Silva, who turns 38 next month, cannot maintain his extraordinary levels indefinitely, and there is an acceptance at Stamford Bridge that their reliance on the Brazilian will have to wind down over the course of the season.
Silva was part of a back three with a combined age of 100 at Goodison Park, along with 31-year-old debutant Kalidou Koulibaly and Cesar Azpilicueta, 32, and after an unconvincing 1-0 win the head coach spoke of the need for a "new generation" of defenders.
Managing Silva's minutes was already one of Tuchel's top priorities last season and he is now facing doing the same with his captain and possibly Koulibaly, who was excellent on the opening day but may need to acclimatise to the Premier League.
The situation is even more delicate because this will be the most relentless season on record and all three defenders are set to play in the winter World Cup in Qatar. Some wear and tear when the midweek fixtures begin next month feels inevitable.
Tuchel is particularly concerned about the pace (or the lack of it) of his defenders and the sight of Erling Haaland accelerating behind West Ham's defence on Sunday will not have reassured the German that Chelsea are equipped to compete with their Premier League rivals.
More immediately, the Blues host Spurs and perhaps the top-flight's most in-tune front three on Sunday. The answer to Tuchel's concerns is likely to come in the form of Leicester's Wesley Fofana, with the Blues pursuing a deal for the Frenchman that could amount to a world-record fee for a defender.
Tall, athletic and quick enough to compensate for all but the most severe lapses in concentration, Fofana has all the qualities that are likely to be lacking in Chelsea's defence in the near future, and is comfortable enough on the ball to play in Tuchel's high defensive line.
Given he is still just 21, there is a belief in west London that he could form the basis of the club's defence for the next decade.
Having missed out on Nathan Ake, Presnel Kimpembe, Matthijs de Ligt and Jules Kounde already this summer, Fofana is also a last resort of sorts, having been identified by the Blues as the best option still available this summer.
Conscious of Chelsea's situation, Leicester are pushing for a deal worth more than the £80million Manchester United paid the Foxes for Harry Maguire in 2019, with talks continuing this week and Fofana keen on the move.
Promising as he is, Chelsea’s pursuit of Fofana is borne out of both necessity and desperation, and is not without risks given his age and the cost
Chelsea's new owners, the Boehly-Clearlake consortium, are determined to raise the level of Tuchel's squad in a big blow-out this summer but going forward they are expected to usher in a post-Roman Abramovich era of more financial prudence, particularly with unfavourable Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules on the horizon.
Promising as he is, Chelsea's pursuit of Fofana is borne out of both necessity and desperation, and is not without risks given his age and the cost.
A world-record deal would come with pressure, and leave Fofana immediately tasked with being both the short- and long-term solutions to Chelsea's defensive shortcomings.
