After Newcastle beat Arsenal on Monday night, Chelsea has been given a new but very welcome feeling going into the final two league games of the season without much pressure. Not since 2016/17, after the Blues captured a Premier League title under Antonio Conte, had the remaining fixtures felt like glorified friendlies.
A mere point in either of the remaining two games against Leicester and Watford will guarantee third place over Spurs, the highest finish since the 2018/19 season under Maurizio Sarri.
There really are a few reasons for Thomas Tuchel not to experiment now, given how little is riding on these games and the chance to rotate.
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With the season effectively done, Tuchel can hopefully feel freer to utilise some fresh faces and try some interesting tactical things with an eye to next season. Chelsea's players have looked worn down and exhausted in recent weeks, lacking invention and inspiration as results and performances have tailed off.
There is also the reality that some faces within the current squad are nearing the end of their time at Stamford Bridge and hoping for a fond farewell. With also, the slim chance of some academy talent used earlier in the campaign getting a shot at minutes.
So here are three players Tuchel should use as Chelsea's very long season comes to a close.
Harvey Vale
With Chelsea's academy seasons already over, the inclusion of young talent in the first team will hopefully be an option, given how little is at stake on Thursday and Sunday.
Fans got a glimpse of the next Cobham generation over winter when Jude Soonsup-Bell, Xavier Simons and Lewis Hall all got minutes in the Carabao and FA Cup, but Harvey Vale has been a clear standout.
Vale's future remains unclear heading into the summer, and given the sanctions, the club cannot offer the midfielder a new deal. Should he gain more minutes under Tuchel at Stamford Bridge, that could hopefully encourage him to remain a Chelsea player whilst also adding a new face to the matchday squad.
Trevoh Chalobah
This sounds obvious given his inclusion across the season and starting the last two games. However, Chalobah's exclusion from a number of games in the closing months has baffled supporters, given his exciting breakthrough last summer.
Chalobah is the future of Chelsea's defence, his new deal till 2026 secures his stay under Tuchel and with others on the way out in that area, prioritising his minutes feels sensible, even maybe experimenting with him on the left side of Tuchel's back-three, a position that is uncertain given Antonio Rudiger's departure.
Romelu Lukaku
I struggled to select a third name, primarily because there could be a bit of a squad overhaul this summer and players who are still contracted but might be sold could be about to embark on a farewell to west London. The future of Romelu Lukaku is a massively unknown quantity this summer. Do the club sell him? Do Tuchel and Lukaku see this as a relationship worth persisting with after the struggles this season?
In the past three games, there has been a shift, Lukaku has been given a chance to reassert himself, and he has done well. Scoring twice against Wolves and rounding off the convincing win at Elland Road over Leeds. Suddenly, the team looks more suited to the Belgian, playing the ball into his feet quicker and more direct.
Given Kai Havertz's injury issues and poor form before the FA Cup final, I'd stick with Lukaku for the remaining games and hope that he can end a very awkward season on the right note. What happens after that is anyone's guess.
