Blessed with arguably the strongest squad in world football, you would think that Chelsea would be well-equipped to cope with injuries to their two first-choice forwards.
However, the expected absences of Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku, as well as Christian Pulisic remaining on the sidelines, have left Thomas Tuchel with limited options in the final third.
The German will almost certainly look to compatriot Kai Havertz against Norwich City with the attacker having gotten on the scoresheet against Malmo on Wednesday night.
Nevertheless, Tuchel is now under pressure to use all of his tactical nous to find a successful combination in the final third, and Sports Mole suggests three ways in which the Blues could line up going forward.
MOUNT, HAVERTZ, ZIYECH
The one constant over the coming games could be the inclusion of Mason Mount. A minor injury gave the England international a much-needed break from action last month, and the academy graduate will now be expected to resume what has become his trademark high workload.
Tuchel is helped by Mount being able to be deployed in several positions, and the playmaker may be joined by Hakim Ziyech as Tuchel's first-choice creative partnership for the foreseeable future.
The former Ajax star has not featured in the last three games, but Tuchel may prefer to use a player who can interchange with his teammates over the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi on either flank.
That would suit Havertz, who generally performs better when he has the freedom to roam rather than being used as a physical presence inside the area.
MOUNT, HUDSON-ODOI; HAVERTZ
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Despite that explanation, Hudson-Odoi should expect to feature heavily before the international break after making an impact against Malmo.
The versatile wideman has given a positive account of himself for several matches now, starting when taking the game to Juventus as a substitute at the end of September.
Although his assist for Havertz in midweek was his first direct goal contribution of the campaign, he will hope to be provided with the chance to impress as reward for his patience and perseverance under Tuchel.
MOUNT, HAVERTZ; LOFTUS-CHEEK
Tuchel has made it clear that he is a huge admirer of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and why shouldn't he be? The Englishman has knuckled down since his loan spell at Fulham, turned down the chance of another temporary exit and earned himself two Premier League starts.
There is a strong argument that the 25-year-old should be allowed to flourish with new responsibility in a 3-4-3, but his physical presence and versatility make him an option to start up front.
Even though this is a player who has only scored 15 times in his club career, there is scope for Loftus-Cheek playing down the middle and Havertz acting as a roaming playmaker alongside Mount.
As it stands, such a trio appears unlikely, but with Havertz unlikely to start each of the next five games which come in the space of a couple of weeks, Tuchel has licence to try something different.
Darren Plant
