Whether or not Enzo Fernandez plays, tonight feels like a fresh start for Chelsea.
Blues boss Graham Potter said yesterday he was waiting to hear if his £106.8million deadline-day signing has clearance to face Fulham.
Regardless, the game at Stamford Bridge represents a chance for Chelsea to change the narrative around their season.
The Blues will kick-off in 10th place, but the outlook looks brighter. A two-week break since their 0-0 draw at Liverpool has given Potter valuable time on the training ground, as he bids to impose his methods on the squad.
Star man Reece James is back from injury, along with Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, as the injury crisis at the club eases.
James, in particular, could have a huge impact. Since Potter took over, Chelsea have not lost when the right-back has played, but they have struggled badly without him.
New £88.5m signing Mykhailo Mudryk could make his first start tonight after impressing off the bench at Liverpool. His exciting cameo has given supporters a lift, and the Ukraine winger has had a fortnight to get used to his new team-mates.
Mudryk hopes to make a similar impact to new £33m defender Benoit Badiashile, who has helped Chelsea keep back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since October and excelled in a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in their last home game.
Noni Madueke, a £29m signing from PSV Eindhoven, is also in contention to come into the squad tonight.
“We’re excited with the players we’ve added, excited for the players returning from injury and, when you look at the group, it’s a really strong, competitive group,” said Potter. “You can see the direction we’re trying to go in, which is building for the future but, at the same time, quality that can compete now.”
Chelsea lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage last month, when Joao Felix was sent off on his debut and Carlos Vinicius scored the winner for Fulham.
That defeat was the low point in what has been a difficult season and raised questions about whether Potter was the right man for the job.
But Chelsea have steadied the ship, with four points from two games since then and, while 10th place is clearly not good enough, there is no doubt Potter will be given time.
Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali were at the club’s Cobham training ground yesterday to watch their new players train under Potter. The sense is they would rather change the squad than the manager, and have now spent over £500m on 16 new signings since last summer’s takeover.
One of the big problems for Potter is how to manage a squad of 33 senior players. For now, his priority is finding a winning combination and not which players he upsets.
It is becoming an increasingly common sight to see new signings presented to the crowd at Stamford Bridge. Fernandez and Madueke will be the latest to be paraded tonight.
Boehly and Egbhali will be in the directors’ box, eagerly watching for signs of change.
It has been a difficult season for Chelsea but, for reasons both on and off the pitch, confidence is growing that they can start to turn their season around.
