Chelsea Q&A: Does rotation hinder Blues?

We had you send in questions and for our Chelsea reporter Nizaar Kinsella:

Jon asked: Do you think that the squad rotation from week to week stifles the Chelsea performance? The defence in particular seems to be the most affected.

Nizaar: I can see why Chelsea are rotating so heavily, and their argument is that it will pay off in the long run, as reported here. It is important to note that this is a club-wide strategy, not merely a whim of Enzo Maresca. However, I agree that the weakness in the process lies in defensive rotation. That may be due, in part, to none of the central defenders making themselves un-droppable. Overall, Chelsea are performing well this season. Maresca has made wholesale changes against lesser opposition and, generally, they have worked well enough. But the winter period will present an even greater challenge in that regard.

Andy asked: What is happening with the front-of-shirt sponsor? Since the takeover we have been missing a long term one, and in the era of PSR it's huge wasted income. There are rumours of an announcement soon, but what's going on here?

Nizaar: Yes, you're right. Being sponsorless has almost become the default for Chelsea, aside from the bulk of a season with AI analytics firm Infinite Athlete and a brief spell at the end of last season with the property company Damac. There have been rumours about Oracle becoming Chelsea's main sponsor. However, official sources still say it is an open, ongoing process involving multiple potential partners.

Oracle is certainly the type of company Chelsea would like to work with – a strong, blue-chip brand – but only on a long-term basis and at around £55m per season. For now, all I can say is that the process remains ongoing, and it is still unclear when the club will announce a deal.