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Reigning European champions Chelsea arguably have one of the best squads in the Premier League right now. The Blues have an incredible mixture of youth and experience and have at least two talented players for each position in the squad.
They have added the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Saul Niguez to their squad, making them prime contenders for the Premier League this season.
Some Chelsea players are not expected to feature prominently in the Premier League
But with so many talented players in the squad, some players are bound to be left on the sidelines. They could be forced to play a much lesser part during the 2021-22 campaign for the Premier League giants.
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These players might not offer as much as others and it would be best for the club to use them sparingly this season. So without further delay, let's take a look at the 5 players Chelsea should scarcely use in the Premier League this term:
#5 Timo Werner
Timo Werner has had a mixed start to his Chelsea career so far. Since arriving from RB Leipzig last season, the German international has struggled in front of goal, scoring just 12 goals in all competitions (six in the Premier League). His pace was utilized effectively by both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel but his finishing left a lot to be desired.
As such, Chelsea actively pursued the signature of a world-class striker this summer and got it in the form of Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian hit the ground running immediately, scoring against Arsenal in the Premier League and completely bullying the Gunners' defense.
Lukaku seems to have established an understanding with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz as part of Chelsea's front-three. With the trio starting together in each of their last two Premier League games, it seems like Werner will settle for a rotational role.
#4 Mateo Kovacic
Mateo Kovacic has been a consistent performer for Chelsea since arriving at the club in 2018. He has played as a third-choice midfielder behind N'Golo Kante and Jorginho and has done well whenever called upon. But the arrival of Saul Niguez might just push Kovacic further down the pecking order.
While both of them are excellent in the defensive phase, one aspect of Saul's game that differentiates him from Kovacic is his goal-scoring ability. He has scored at least four goals in five of his seven seasons with Atletico Madrid and developed a reputation for doing so with style. Meanwhile, Kovacic has managed to score only two goals in three seasons for Chelsea.
So playing Saul over Kovacic in the absence of either Jorginho or Kante might benefit Chelsea.
#3 Callum Hudson-Odoi
Callum Hudson-Odoi made his Chelsea debut in the Premier League under Antonio Conte at the age of just 17 years. However, the youngster's career has stagnated in the last 18 months following his return from an Achilles injury.
He struggled to cement his place in the team under Frank Lampard and his first-team prospects for the Premier League giants have only worsened under Thomas Tuchel. He has started just two of Chelsea's last 17 games, completing just 178 out of 1560 available minutes in that time.
Hudson-Odoi started brilliantly under Tuchel in the wing-back position, but his form dropped after a few games and as such he lost his place in the side.
The 20-year-old has not played a single minute in the first three Premier League games this season. Hudson-Odoi was looking to leave on loan in the summer transfer window with Borussia Dortmund interested, but Tuchel blocked the move as he didn't want to weaken his squad.
With the likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic in the squad, it looks like Hudson-Odoi will be scarcely used by Chelsea this season.
#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa Arrizabalaga became the world's most expensive keeper when he joined Chelsea in 2018. He had a decent first season at the club but things went downhill for him in the 2019-20 season. He made a number of costly errors in the Premier League which saw him get replaced by Willy Caballero towards the end of the season.
As such Chelsea bought Edouard Mendy from Rennes last summer and the Senegalese has been Chelsea's first-choice ever since he joined the Blues. He has provided solidity at the back and even managed to keep 16 clean sheets in 31 Premier League games for Chelsea.
Arrizabalaga has now accepted his role as second-choice keeper at the Premier League club. The Spaniard has done well in the few games he has played under Tuchel, even helping the Blues lift the UEFA Super Cup via the penalty shootout. But that has not been enough to push Thomas Tuchel into rethinking his choice for Chelsea's first-choice shot-stopper.
Hence, it is likely that Kepa Arrizabalaga will be restricted to cup games during the season. However, the Spaniard will have a chance to prove himself once more in the Premier League when Mendy leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
#1 Thiago Silva
Signing Thiago Silva for free last summer was an incredible piece of business by Chelsea. Even though he was 35 at the time of joining, the veteran played a key part in Chelsea's top four finish in the Premier League and their Champions League win.
The Brazilian managed to play 34 games for Chelsea last season and was even ahead of the likes of Andreas Christensen in the pecking order. But while he was impressive, a couple of injuries at the business end of the season restricted his playing time. He was even substituted in the Champions League final in the first half due to injury.
Now turning 37 later this month, there's a possibility that Silva's playing time might be more restricted. Christensen has proven formidable in the last few months and has even started all of Chelsea's Premier League games so far this season. Further, the emergence of Trevoh Chalobah has provided a major boost for Chelsea in defense.
As such, Thiago Silva might further fall down the pecking order at Chelsea. Even then, the Blues will be playing in several major competitions and Silva's experience will prove crucial in big games for Chelsea. But given his age, there's no doubt that the Brazilian will be used scarcely by Chelsea this season.
