Chelsea are only eight games into the current season, but they have already paused for an international break.
Club action has paused until next Saturday, with a host of players now representing their respective countries for a couple of weeks.
The likes of England, Spain, Germany and Italy are all competing in the UEFA Nations League group stages, whilst other nations are playing international friendlies.
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It will be the last break from club football before most of the world’s top leagues pause for the World Cup, which will take place in Qatar in November and December.
Back home, Chelsea have had a poor start to the season, having won just three games so far.
The Blues have also seen the arrival of a new head coach, with Graham Potter coming in for Thomas Tuchel.
Such a change now spells a chance for some of the squad to impress the new boss, especially if they have been underperforming in recent months.
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One of the positions on the pitch that is of concern to the side at the moment is the attack, but a few of their options going forward now have the chance to show Potter what they can do for the side, this time on the international stage.
Kai Havertz has featured in all eight of Chelsea’s games so far this season, but the German has only been able to net once during that time, scoring the winner against West Ham.
He netted 14 goals across all competitions last season, but the arrival of the experienced Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could spell more competition for a place upfront for the west London side.
Despite his recent woes in front of goal, Havertz has revealed he has been delighted with his move to Chelsea, having signed back in 2020.
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“Moving to Chelsea was the best thing I could have done,” said the striker.
“In these two years, I have fulfilled my childhood dream.
“It was very good for me to get out of Germany, to experience something new, to adopt the way of playing in England.
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“It’s very different from the ones I got to know and love when I was young and turned professional at Leverkusen.
“I am really enjoying it and I feel like I have made a big leap forward in England.”
Havertz started in Potter’s first game in charge at Chelsea in the Champions League draw against FC Salzburg last week, with Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling completing the trio.
He was unable to contribute to the point but should he impress during his time with Germany over the course of the break, in which they face Hungary and England, Havertz could feature more under Potter.
After his return from loan at Southampton in the summer, Armando Broja arrived at Chelsea with a point to prove.
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His six Premier League goals last season for the Saints have highlighted him as one of the club’s brightest prospects.
Despite rumours of him leaving on another loan or even a permanent deal during the summer transfer window, Broja has remained as part of the first team squad at Chelsea.
The Albanian has made six appearances so far this season, but all of those have come off the bench.
However, with the Blues’ other strikers struggling for goals in the campaign so far, Broja is by no means out of the question for a starting role in the attack.
He has scored four goals in 14 appearances for the Albanian national side, and upcoming fixtures against Israel and Iceland could present him the chance to add to the tally.
USMNT captain Christian Pulisic was set to face Japan in an international friendly on Friday, but was unable to feature in the 2-0 loss due to him picking up a knock.
He is set to be assessed ahead of their match against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Should he be fit to play, the 23-year-old will be keen to replicate his previous form for his country, having failed to pick up a goal or assist in eight games so far for Chelsea.
Fellow winger Hakim Ziyech has also had a tough time in the current campaign, making just four appearances for the Blues.
AC Milan were speculated to be signing him early in the summer transfer window, before he was linked with a return to Ajax towards the end.
However, he has remained at Stamford Bridge, starting just one game for the side.
Back in February, Ziyech announced that he was retiring from the Morocco international team, having had a falling out with then manager Vahid Halilhodzic.
The latter has since been sacked from the role and Ziyech has now returned to the side, with friendlies against Chile and Paraguay on their schedule for the current break.
He came off the bench against FC Salzburg with around eight minutes to go in the match and judging by the reception he faced from some members of the Chelsea fan base inside Stamford Bridge, Ziyech will need to improve if he is to make further appearances in the side.
Potter will now be able to spend time with the players who aren’t on international duty, as he gets used to his new surroundings at the Blues.
His next match in charge will be a Premier League visit to Crystal Palace next Saturday, with the 47-year-old now leading the side in the opening months of their new era.
Topics: Chelsea, Kai Havertz, Armando Broja, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech
Robert Calcutt