Enzo Maresca during Chelsea's defeat to Bayern Munich(Image: Danilo Di Giovanni)

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as the Blues look to make it three wins on the bounce, with Nottingham Forest standing in their way at the City Ground. Enzo Maresca's side defeated Benfica and Liverpool by the odd goal prior to the international break and are looking to build some momentum ahead of a hectic fixture schedule.

Between now and the next international break - the final one of 2025 - Chelsea have seven matches in all competitions. For a bit more context: that is seven games in the space of just 21 days. It averages out at a match every three days, so Maresca's squad is going to be tested to the absolute maximum over the next three weeks.

The Chelsea head coach will be boosted by the fact some of his players have shone for their respective countries during the recently-concluded international break. Also, Maresca might want to thank some of the international managers, namely Lee Carsley (England Under-21s), Didier Deschamps (France) and Luis de la Fuente (Spain), for resting...