Frank Lampard likes to call them nice problems but the imminent introduction of Hakim Ziyech following a knee injury gives Chelsea’s head coach yet another decision that could leave a nose or two out of joint over the coming weeks.
He is not afraid at making ruthless calls, sidelining individuals for nothing more than personal choices, but trying to accommodate so many attackers was always going to be one of this season’s biggest challenges.
And now that task is about to get even harder.
Owing to such a congested fixture list, rotation is going to be a theme throughout the campaign but Chelsea did not pay Ajax €40million (£33million) to have Ziyech on the bench.
What does look clear is that Chelsea will line-up in a 4-2-3-1 far more regularly than last season, when 4-3-3 ruled the roost and three-man defence popped up on occasion.
Ziyech will presumably spend much of his time on the right of that three-man attacking midfield, cutting in on to his left foot, and that could see reduced minutes for Callum Hudson-Odoi going off recent evidence.
The youngster, who can also play on a left flank where Christian Pulisic is first choice and Timo Werner and Mason Mount can provide cover, started on the right in the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace last Saturday.
Chelsea’s refusal to engage with Bayern Munich, who last week made two bids to sign Hudson-Odoi on loan, indicates that Lampard will be giving him plenty of opportunities but in the short-term it looks like a competition with Ziyech for minutes.
In addition to that, a 4-2-3-1 system means one of the ‘Sarri midfield’ is left out and right now that looks like Mateo Kovacic, last season’s player of the year, or Jorginho, the vice captain.
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Good player to have in chelsea