The full magnitude of the injury crisis that is already threatening to wreck Chelski's season was laid bare on Tuesday when just 11 outfield players were passed fit for training.
Cashley Cole became the Blues' 14th casualty when he was forced to withdraw from an open training session at Stamford Bridge with a thigh problem.
With so many first-teamers absent so that they could receive treatment at Chelski's Cobham training ground, the club issued a formal statement apologising to the estimated 3,000 supporters in attendance. They were compensated with 'free refreshments and a free cap as a gesture of goodwill'.
Cole's injury is not thought to be serious, and the left-back is expected to recover in time for Sunday's match with Birmingham. Florent Malouda and Glen Johnson are also expected to be available after suffering from dead legs.
However, making a mockery of his pledge to pursue a policy of rotation this season, Jose Mourinho's options are severely restricted ahead of the opening weekend of the new campaign. Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Joe Cole, John Obi Mikel and Ricardo Carvalho were the only regular first-teamers capable of training on Tuesday, while John Terry, Michael Ballack, Wayne Bridge, Arjen Robben, Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba will definitely miss the opening skirmish. Petr Cech, Claude Makelele, Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira are rated as doubtful.
Given those difficulties, Mourinho's announcement that the era of the 'Untouchables' was over made sense, although the change in policy appears to have been a consequence of unfortunate circumstance rather than a strategic re-think.
"If you are not first-choice at the beginning of the season you know that, step by step, you will get matches," the Chelski boss told the club's TV station. "Last season every player played more than 20 matches. 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 are playing a lot of matches. 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."
semi-finals is about right
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