Posted by Graham Potter, the manager of Chelsea, lamented the injuries to some of his team’s important players ahead of Thursday’s night match against Manchester City.
The league’s top team, Arsenal, is 19 points behind the champion Blues.
Potter, who took over for Thomas Tuchel in September, has acknowledged that it has not been a smooth road.
You have to be stable, that helps, he told Sky Sports. Given the number of games we had to play in the Champions League and the injuries we sustained to important players, the scenario we found ourselves in was rather extreme.
“In the end, you’re looking for a solution to the problem of replacing Reece James. How can N’Golo Kante be replaced? How are Wesley Fofana to be replaced? These men are important members of our team. It sounds like excuses, therefore I won’t offer any. We are attempting to achieve the stability we need.
“We must try to maintain consistency with the players we have and with the shape we take. Since our last home game, James and Mason Mount have passed away. Simply said, it is the life of a football manager. Consistency is impacted by that.
It would be lovely to say we have 11 players and we’ll roll them out constantly when you’re playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, but that’s not the reality you face. You must make adjustments, and if the results are unsuccessful, you will undoubtedly face criticism. If you lose and don’t alter your formation, you face criticism. What is, is what is. You must concede it.