Given the size and depth of Enzo Maresca's wider squad, it is somewhat of a blow for him not to have an additional two Conference League group games this month. It would be a chance not only to get some minutes into the legs of players who have rarely featured but also to put some of them in the shop window.

Instead, and unlike the top two tiers of European football, the Conference League is on an early winter break. There are no seventh and eighth group phase matches and therefore the gap for Chelsea to return to competing is even longer.

As unsurprising winners of the league phase, Chelsea have already secured a place directly in the last-16. With no knockout games scheduled until mid-February for the two-legged play-off round, it will have been almost three months by the time Maresca and his men are back in action.

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It has raised problems for a group including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Joao Felix, who simply are not getting the appearances they want. All three are in the mix to leave before the January deadline.

Despite the bloated playing squad available to Maresca, it is still incoming moves generating the most attention. The club are actively looking at new wingers, most notably Mathys Tel and Alejandro Garnacho.

The pair, both right-footed players preferring to come in from the left - although Tel can also play up front and would act as competition to Nicolas Jackson - are set to see their respective futures come down to the wire. The deadline for deals to be completed is 11pm on Monday, February 3.

Chelsea are in action that same night against West Ham at Stamford Bridge, but that cannot stop them from doing business. Instead, this week will afford them a chance to consider their options for the Conference League.

Although Chelsea do not play in the Conference League until March, the UEFA deadline for registering changes to their 25-man squad is on Thursday, February 6, just days after the transfer window closes. It raises questions about just what Chelsea will do.

There is already an initial cap of introducing three new players, which promises to cause a massive debate of its own at SW6. Chelsea left out Wesley Fofana, Romeo Lavia, and Cole Palmer from their group named for the group stage.

If all three were wanted for the second half of the tournament, then no new signings could be selected. That is without considering how Reece James, the returning Trevoh Chalobah, or potential new signings might be factored in.

Should Joao Felix or Axel Disasi depart - the same goes for Chukwuemeka, Dewsbury-Hall, and Cesare Casadei as well - then the role they might play would need to be replaced too. Fortunately, Chelsea also know that UEFA's deadline will impact Bayern Munich for Tel and Manchester United with Garnacho.

On Wednesday night Bayern will see their group stage campaign come to a close. United in the Europa League will do so 24 hours later in Romania.

Neither team has been able to register new players for the final two group games due to UEFA rules, which restrict changes until after the league phase is over. For Chelsea, this gives them a pathway towards now completing the signings that they are pushing for.

Neither Tel nor Garnacho will be called on in Europe until after the January window closes, making matters a lot less complicated. There will still be a conversation to be had over just how Chelsea fit the players into their squad regardless, but the door for Tel and Garnacho will certainly remain open as they look to be proactive before losing the opportunity.