Chelsea will have been left frustrated by the manner of their defeat to local rivals Fulham on Boxing Day, but that should not dampen what has been a brilliant half-season for the Blues.

Conference League football has proven to be a stroll in the park for Enzo Maresca's side, and for large parts, so has the Premier League. Few would have expected the Italian to hit the ground running in the manner that he has managed to date, but it has so far been a pleasant surprise for the home supporters.

The Blues sit second in the table before Matchday 18, and while a realistic title challenge seems a stretch, a return to the top four will please the boardroom. Despite this success, Chelsea's strength in depth remains lacking, as was evidenced by the lack of substitutions against Fulham recently.

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Maresca will no doubt love to add further bodies to his squad to allow the younger players the opportunity to develop without the pressure of first-team demands. Having spent considerably in the summer, the priority will be to sell players in January before bringing new ones in.

As such, one of the first decisions that needs to be confirmed almost immediately is where to offload players that Maresca does not see as part of his vision. The likes of Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka are not going to make it at Stamford Bridge while Maresca is in charge, so it only makes sense to sell them now and recoup some money.

Freeing up wages as well as adding some money to the transfer fund makes perfect sense for Chelsea and should hopefully provide the much-needed wiggle room needed to allow Maresca to invest.