5 reasons Chelsea will not be in the title race in 2018

#2 Squad strength

Victor Moses has revelled in his wing-back role this season

There’s no doubt that Chelsea have one of the weakest squads among the top four, which even Conte admitted to recently. The Blues do not have able replacements for their star players, if they were to leave in the summer or suffer a long term injury, and are also short on options to change things around if they face a stubborn side.

Chelsea’s defensive trio of Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta have been a revelation in Conte’s much-talked about and very successful 3-4-3 system, while Victor Moses – the winger who was converted to a wing-back – and summer signing, Marcus Alonso, have provided ample support to Chelsea’s star forwards.

An injury to one of the above players could make the Blues’ backline vulnerable.

Kurt Zouma had a promising start to his Chelsea career, but last season’s injury has hampered his growth, while club legend John Terry is most likely to retire at the end of the season. Nathan Ake, the 22-year-old versatile defender-cum-midfielder, can slot in at defensive midfield, left wing-back or at the heart of the defence, but he hasn’t featured enough to inspire confidence.

In midfield, Chelsea’s three most-used central midfielders have been the energetic and lively, N’Golo Kante, Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, and Nemanja Matic; look further than the trio and Nathaniel Chalobah is the only able replacement, but, again, he hasn’t been tested in high-pressure situations or big games.

Chelsea will strengthen in the summer, surely, but they will have to sign 3-4 top-class players to have a balanced and competitive squad - not an easy task in the current transfer market where average players have inflated prices.