Chelsea players were left in shock after failing to make the bench for the Blues' defeat at Tottenham on Sunday.
Goals from Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane ensured Graham Potter's side stretched their winless run to five Premier League matches and therefore remain 10th in the table. It was a result that put even more pressure on Potter, who has been criticised for the nature of his side's losses but he has had some difficult decisions to make.
Due to the nature of Chelsea's now-bloated squad, Potter was forced leave several senior players out of the fold for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The ex-Brighton boss said that Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Carney Chukwuemeka and David Datro Fofana were "unfortunate" to be left out.
But according to the Telegraph, more than one of those players was 'shocked' to find out they would not even be on the substitutes' bench. Chelsea made eight new signings in January, which has forced Potter into a selection dilemma, both for his first XI and the bench, given only Jorginho was allowed to leave.
It has meant he has had to leave some big-name stars out of the matchday squad completely, with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang amongst those to be snubbed in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Potter could be in for an even bigger decision when a handful of his unavailable crew return to action.
Mateo Kovacic missed the game through illness and is expected to be back soon, while Cesar Azpilicueta travelled with the squad but was not available after suffering concussion against Southampton. Armando Broja, Christian Pulisic and Eduoard Mendy remain long-term absentees, while N'Golo Kante is closing in on a return to fitness.
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For the trip to Tottenham, Potter made six changes to his starting side after being beaten by bottom of the table Southampton last Saturday. Fofana, Mason Mount, Noni Madueke, Kovacic, Benoit Badiashile and Azpilicueta made way for Kai Havertz, Raheem Sterling, Hakim Ziyech, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Thiago Silva and Reece James.
Despite those wholesale changes, it was the same old story for Chelsea, who haven't been able to string a succession of victories under new boss Potter yet. The 47-year-old has been put under increased pressure from the Blues faithful but the Chelsea board and directors are planning to back him.
The Telegraph report that the message from the owners remains one of wanting to provide support and backing, although the next two matches feel pivotal in their season. Chelsea face relegation-threatened Leeds on Saturday in what could be said as a 'must-win', before they take on Borussia Dortmund in the second-leg of their last-16 Champions League tie a week on Tuesday.
Chelsea fell to a 1-0 defeat at the Signal Iduna Park in the first-leg on February 15 but played well and were unfortunate not to score on the night. They will be hoping to overturn that deficit and qualify for the next round of the competition, with the chances of them reaching the top four in the league looking increasingly unlikely now.
