Graham Potter says it will not be straightforward for Chelsea to "find solutions" in the upcoming January transfer window – and he insists there are several players in the current first-team squad who can improve during the second half of the campaign.
Potter arrived at Stamford Bridge in September and oversaw an intense run of fixtures prior to the World Cup break. There was a positive start under the English coach which included a nine-game unbeaten run. But a disappointing defeat to Brighton, Potter's former club, coupled with a lengthening injury list meant Chelsea's form nosedived in November.
Chelsea's campaign will restart tomorrow evening (Tuesday) against Bournemouth, and there is much work for the Blues to do if they are to secure Champions League football for next season. Potter's side are currently eighth in the table and nine points behind Tottenham in fourth.
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There is an expectation that Chelsea will spend in the January transfer window to bolster the first-team squad. A new centre-back is wanted – with talks continuing over Monaco's Benoit Badiashile – while someone to cover for Reece James at right wing-back, a new central midfielder, and another striker are desired.
Yet Potter appreciates the winter window is notoriously difficult to navigate successfully, even though Chelsea's new-look recruitment team is taking shape with Christopher Vivell, Paul Winstanley, and Kyle Macauley in place.
"I would say the January window isn't so straightforward to find solutions," said Potter on Friday. "From my perspective, the autumn fixture list was an extreme period – and I would not want to make too many drastic assessments [on players] based on that extreme period.
"The team, as I see it, hasn't functioned as maximally as I would have liked – and I think that it can do. I would say the job of the head coach is to focus on the players that are here and make them better. There's room for improvement there for sure."
Chelsea will be boosted in their attempt to rise up the Premier League table in the weeks ahead by the return of James. The England international suffered a knee injury against AC Milan at the start of October but has used the World Cup break to finish his recovery and return to training.
"If you look at how the team was functioning before and after he got injured, it's not the only reason of course, but Reece is a top, top player and when he's not with us it's a miss," Potter said.
"The plan is to try to help him build up his minutes, and the next challenge is to build him up in the Premier League, which is not the ideal place to do it. He's got the capacity to do that, but we just need to be clear and careful with the minutes that he plays. I'm confident the more he plays the more we'll see what a fantastic player he is."
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