Graham Potter's Chelsea players must tread the line carefully as they look to secure a passage into the Champions League quarter-finals. The second leg of their last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday is effectively a game that will define the season.
In the bid to get to this stage there has already been some collateral damage, with Mason Mount forced to miss the second leg due to suspension after picking up a yellow card in Germany. The 24-year-old came on as a second-half substitute but still found his way into the referee's book.
It's a blow for Potter, who is already missing Thiago Silva for the tie due to injury and has to negotiate a potential shift in tactics and personnel in his backline, meanwhile, N'Golo Kante's recovery hasn't put him in a position to feature either.
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It puts pressure on the forwards, who have been far from prolific this season, to get two goals to ensure the two-time winners get through in Potter's first knockout attempt in the competition.
As much as there will be total dedication to getting through to the last eight for the third season in a row, Chelsea will also have to be aware, with five of their players at risk of missing their next European game. UEFA rules mean that once a player gets to three yellow cards they will get a one-game suspension, as Mount found.
Before the first leg, there were already three other players on two yellow cards, Kalidou Koulibaly, Conor Gallagher and Mykhailo Mudryk. They all avoided being booked and are available for Potter, meanwhile, Silva himself picked up a booking for his handball in the first half - despite being pushed towards the ball in a situation that saw the deflection take the ball into the goal.
Reece James was also booked and is now at risk as he enters the second leg on two yellows, one away from missing the first leg of the quarter final, should Chelsea get there.
The first task is qualification for the next round, but doing it with as many first-team players available as possible would be an added boost. The cards don't get wiped until the quarter finals are finished either, meaning that there is a group of important Blues stars treading on eggshells already.
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