- Jose Mourinho vowed to be 'ruthless' and replace stars with young players
- Chelsea have struggled for form so far this season, losing five times
- Their latest setback was a 2-1 loss at Porto in Champions League
- We take a look at five up-and-coming players who could get their chance.
Chelsea certainly have a stock of talented youngsters coming through their academy, and their youth sides won the FA Youth Cup and the UEFA Youth League last season.
But the club's record in bringing through academy players is terrible, with John Terry the last to establish himself as a regular first-team starter over a decade ago.
But the club's record in bringing through academy players is terrible, with John Terry the last to establish himself as a regular first-team starter over a decade ago.
So while we don't really believe Mourinho in saying he'll ditch the big money signings for the raw, unproven talent of the kids, here's five players not currently out on loan he might consider bringing into the fold.
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RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK
Already well-known to Chelsea fans following a handful of recent first-team appearances, the graceful Loftus-Cheek is tipped for a bright future at Stamford Bridge.
Given his chance in the first team at the tail end of last season following a few years of impressive displays for the youth and under 21 sides, the midfielder has already experienced the yin and yang of Mourinho.
He was criticised for being lazy during an end-of-season friendly in Sydney in May but, after being incorporated into the first-team squad this season, was singled out for praise by the manager after playing against Crystal Palace.
It seems certain that Loftus-Cheek will receive further first-team opportunities and if he can show the full range of his abilities, he could well challenge Nemanja Matic, Ramires and John Obi Mikel for a starting place.
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| Ruben Loftus-Cheek carries the ball forward during Chelsea's Capital One Cup fixture with Walsall |
OLA AINA
It's always a positive sign when you're not loaned out from Chelsea - they have 33 players at other clubs at the minute - and 18-year-old Ola Aina was retained and handed the No 34 shirt in the first team squad.
Part of the successful youth side of last season, Aina plays primarily at right-back but is capable of slotting in across the back four.
Aina, an England under 19 international, was rewarded for his fine performances with inclusion on Chelsea's post-season tour of Thailand and Australia, and their pre-season trip to the United States.
Mourinho kept his pledge to give first team squad places to outstanding members of the youth team and Aina was one of the lucky ones.
With serious question marks over Chelsea's back line, especially Branislav Ivanovic at right-back, perhaps Aina could get a few minutes.
It's always a positive sign when you're not loaned out from Chelsea - they have 33 players at other clubs at the minute - and 18-year-old Ola Aina was retained and handed the No 34 shirt in the first team squad.
Part of the successful youth side of last season, Aina plays primarily at right-back but is capable of slotting in across the back four.
Aina, an England under 19 international, was rewarded for his fine performances with inclusion on Chelsea's post-season tour of Thailand and Australia, and their pre-season trip to the United States.
Mourinho kept his pledge to give first team squad places to outstanding members of the youth team and Aina was one of the lucky ones.
With serious question marks over Chelsea's back line, especially Branislav Ivanovic at right-back, perhaps Aina could get a few minutes.
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| Defender Ola Aina challenges Eden Hazard during training on Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States |
While his Brazilian compatriot Nathan was signed and immediately sent out on loan to Vitesse Arnhem, Mourinho decided to retain Kenedy at Stamford Bridge.
The 19-year-old Brazil under 20 international forward made his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace and opened his scoring account in last week's 4-1 win over Walsall in the Capital One Cup.
It's obvious that Mourinho has plans for Kenedy to be involved quite a bit this season and perhaps the new boy could electrify Chelsea's labouring forward line.
The trouble is that Kenedy faces such strong competition for a place but if he is able to make a suitable impact from the bench, he could win a starting berth in certain games.
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| Kenedy controls the ball under pressure from Ivan Marcano during Chelsea's loss to Porto on Tuesday |
One thing Chelsea are short on at the moment is goals, with Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy all looking short of form so far this season.
One player in the academy that guarantees goals is Tammy Abraham, notching an incredible 41 in 44 outings across the youth teams last term.
Seventeen-year-old Abraham, an England youth international, shared the club's Golden Boot award with the equally-prolific Dominic Solanke, who is spending this season at Vitesse.
Of course, the step up from under 21 level to the seniors is a large one but there may not be any harm in having Abraham in and around the first team picture.
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| Tammy Abraham celebrates after scoring for the Chelsea under 21 side against Reading on Friday night |
Another outstanding performer in Chelsea's Youth Cup and Youth League successes last season, left-back DaSilva won a high profile admirer when Ian Wright claimed he was better than any existing Premier League player in that position.
That may be taking it a bit far for the moment, but the 17-year-old certainly possesses the defensive and attacking attributes to suggest a bright future lies ahead.
He is also in the winning habit, with two Youth Cup wins in two seasons and a starring role in that Youth League success back in April.
Again, with some doubts lingering over the Chelsea defence, DaSilva may enjoy some first team minutes before the end of the season.
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| Jay DaSilva plays a pass during Chelsea's under 21 match with Reading last week |
