'He's been watching Suarez' - Fringe stars show Chelsea strength in depth

With a game every three or four days until the end of December, Chelsea will be hoping the depth of their squad will give them the edge over their rivals.

The Blues have been able to name entirely different starting XIs in each competition they are playing in order to keep players fresh and it appears to be working.

They are second in the Premier League and through to the Uefa Conference League knockout stage after beating Astana on Thursday.

Boss Enzo Maresca made 10 changes for the game in Kazakhstan, but even rested players such as Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku, who have normally been getting more minutes in European action.

For some observers, Chelsea's ability to keep their squad fit and firing will see them challenging for big trophies this season.

"I'm happy to go on record to say that there will be a title challenge coming from Chelsea if everything goes well in the next couple of months," ex-Chelsea forward Joe Cole said on TNT Sports.

"There aren't many weaknesses in this team now and it's credit to Enzo Maresca. Everything is rosy at the moment for them."

In the build-up to Thursday's tie, Maresca said his fringe players "are going to get chances so need to be ready". So who could be forcing their way into his thinking for the Premier League?

French forward Nkunku is into his second season at Chelsea but still struggling to get off the bench and start regularly for them in the Premier League.

He has made 11 domestic league appearances this season, but just two of those were as a starter.

Instead, his chances have come predominantly in Europe. He has scored six goals in the Uefa Conference League to help the Blues comfortably reach the knockout stage.

Nkunku has netted 12 times in all competitions, a fine record by anyone's standards at this stage of a season and scored when he started against Southampton in the Premier League on 4 December.

He did not travel to Kazakhstan for the game against Astana on Thursday, so could be given another chance to shine domestically when Chelsea host Brentford on Sunday.

Maresca put his faith in youth against Astana and one of those to really catch the eye was 18-year-old forward Marc Guiu.

He scored Chelsea's first in the 3-1 win, while their second came when the Spaniard's strike was helped over the line by home defender Aleksandr Marochkin.

Guiu also netted in the 8-0 win against FC Noah in the Uefa Conference League on 7 November and, while a start in the Premier League is unlikely any time soon, he is showing the talent to potentially be another attacking option for Maresca to call upon.

Guiu certainly has promising pedigree, having started his career at Barcelona and marked his debut for the Spanish giants with a goal after just 33 seconds.

"He must have watched Luis Suarez as a young man at Barcelona," Cole added on TNT Sports. "He has great movement. He was a thorn in the side throughout the game.

"I love him. He will give you energy and aggression. This kid is 18 and how big and strong he will be when he gets older.

"Chelsea have a real gem there."

Like Nkunku, Portugal frontman Felix has a good tally of goals in Europe for Chelsea this season, but has so far struggled to force his way into the reckoning in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has scored four times in four games in the Uefa Conference League but started just twice in the Premier League, with a further seven appearances off the bench.

Felix scored in the 6-2 win against Wolves back in August but has not managed another league goal since.

He will be hoping to get more opportunities to impress during a busy December although that depends on his fitness, having not travelled for the Astana tie with an injury concern.

Being considered a fringe player is not what Mykhailo Mudryk, or indeed Chelsea, would have expected when the Ukraine forward joined in a deal worth £89m back in January last year.

But such is the strength of the Blues squad, that is what he finds himself being as he has had to settle for mostly making appearances in the Uefa Conference League this season.

He has done well in Europe, with three goals and as many assists, but he has not played in any competition since 28 November, with illness having restricted his involvement until recently.

If he can transfer his form in Europe to domestic action - and is fully fit - then Mudryk could prove an asset during this busy period.

Along with Guiu, Renato Veiga was one of the players to impress against Astana.

The full-back got Chelsea's third goal to ensure there was no way back for their opponents, heading in from a corner.

But his versatility could be useful for Maresca during this testing period, with the Blues boss having previously praised him for this attribute.

"He played like an attacking midfielder," the Chelsea boss said after Veiga scored his first goal for the club in the 4-2 victory over Gent in October.

"He was playing in the pocket for the first time this season for us.

'When we needed him as a holding midfielder against Bournemouth, he was there. The other day against Brighton he was a full-back.

"The good thing is that he is versatile."