Liam Rosenior says Chelsea players are now used to gruelling fixture schedule

Chelsea’s punishing fixture schedule saw them have barely any downtime between this season and last

Cole Palmer (left) scored a first-half hat-trick at Molineux (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says his players have become used to the demands made of them by a punishing fixture schedule as he hinted at more squad rotation in the coming weeks.

A victorious run in last summer's Club World Cup meant there was little downtime between last season and this, with the Blues getting only a two-week pre-season before beginning the Premier League campaign.

The team looked visibly jaded during August with many players - those involved in Euro 2024 and the Copa America - having not had a prolonged break since the summer of 2023.

Former boss Enzo Maresca was a vocal critic of the number of commitments expected of players in his squad and across football generally, although it appeared as if he pursued a policy of squad rotation reluctantly at times.

His successor, who looks for his eighth win in his first 10 matches when Leeds visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, took a more conciliatory view of the realities of modern football, apparently accepting the necessities of resting his best players.

"We've rotated a lot which you need to do at this stage of the season," said Rosenior. "Bearing in mind the players' long-term schedule. They've played all the way through the summer, they had no pre-season.

"You have to try and freshen up the team in the right areas, mentally and physically. You have to be really well-prepared tactically to give the players the best solutions to the problems you face.

"These lads are fantastic professionals, on and off the pitch. They look after their bodies so well. They live for their job.

"Most of them are used to it now. They've played in Copa Americas, the Afcon or the World Cup or Euros. Their bodies are used to it.

"You want the best product possible. To have the best product, you want the best players on the pitch. We have to find a way that we can find a balance between the two."

Heavy rotation has often left Chelsea looking disjointed this season. Rosenior made seven changes for the recent home game against West Ham, which saw the Blues come form two down to win 3-2, but only after four of his regular starters had been sent on.

Heavy rotation has often left Chelsea looking disjointed this season (John Walton/PA Wire)

Cole Palmer and Reece James are two key players to have spent time out of the team as the club look to manage carefully their long-term rehabilitation following injuries.

Palmer, fresh from his hat-trick against Wolves on Saturday, is fit to face Leeds, while James will have his fitness assessed after feeling unwell.

Chelsea were bullied by Tuesday's opponents in a 3-1 defeat at Elland Road earlier in the season, but Rosenior has no concerns about his team's mentality ahead of the return.

"I don't speak about what's happened before me, I only speak about what I see," he said.

"Players are showing me extreme mental toughness, extreme quality, to come back from two goals down against West Ham, to come back against Napoli (to win 3-2). I'm not questioning their mental toughness at all."