The injury crisis that has so disrupted Chelsea's pre-season preparations left Jose Mourinho only 11 outfield players to work with at training yesterday with the start of their new Premiership campaign only five days away.
The deposed champions held an open training session at Stamford Bridge attended by around 3,000 fans, though those present were left alarmed after the England left back Ashley Cole participated only in the warm-up before heading to the treatment room clutching a thigh.
Chelsea are confident he will be fit for Sunday's visit of Birmingham City but, unless major progress is made in treating the various knocks and strains, Mourinho's selection options for the weekend will be severely limited.
Of the players who could take part in the 90-minute session yesterday, Frank Lampard has a broken toe and Michael Essien and Lassana Diarra have been hampered by minor knee complaints this past week.
Claudio Pizarro is still playing catch-up in terms of match fitness, Mourinho admitting on Sunday the striker was not yet in a position to play a full game.
Ricardo Carvalho, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim, John Mikel Obi, Joe Cole and Scott Sinclair made up the numbers, Chelsea having rejected approaches from Plymouth Argyle and Crystal Palace to take the young winger on loan.
Indeed, Mourinho can ill afford to lose him with Michael Ballack (ankle), Didier Drogba (knee), Andriy Shevchenko (back), John Terry (knee), Claude Makelele (knee), Arjen Robben (knee) and Paulo Ferreira (knee) all in rehab.
Some 14 players were undergoing treatment yesterday, Petr Cech having aggravated a hand injury in Sunday's game against Manchester United.
"You get bad luck like injuries, but we haven't got time to dwell on it," said Sidwell. "The season is coming now so people who are injured will have to take their time coming back to fitness.
"We have a big-enough squad now with players who can come in and fill their boots. This is a chance for some of the new faces; it opens up . . . opportunities."
Mourinho remains bullish, insistent Chelsea boast enough strength in depth to cope even without key performers such as Terry and Drogba. To that end, he has dropped his reliance upon certain "untouchables" within his squad, pragmatism driving his philosophy this time around.
"Nobody is silly," he said. "Everybody is intelligent to understand that we play around 60 matches a season and no one plays 60 matches and, even if you are not first choice at the beginning of the season, you know that step by step you will get matches.
"Last season every player played more than 20 matches. They know. When they come to Chelsea they know that it is not easy to play but, at the same time, they know Chelsea normally progress in every competition, they reach finals or semis.
"We need rotation so the players know it's difficult but at the same time they know that the chances will be here for them.
"The new blood will be the competition between them because the squad is very, very good. We have players for each position. They know they have to compete between themselves."
