Chelsea may have had back-to-back wins over Benfica and Liverpool, but the international break was a reset the club desperately needed.
The Blues had eight injured players before the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge against the Reds a fortnight ago, with others beginning to tire or playing through knocks.
Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, and Reece James were all allowed to bypass international duty through tiredness. Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez missed matches despite being called up.
Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana are expected to return from injury, while Cole Palmer is back in November.
Fernandez withdrew from international duty due to ‘inflammation of the knee’, according to the Argentine FA.
However, it is understood that the midfielder had always planned to miss the friendly match with Puerto Rico this week and had planned to see family during his leave.
Of course, Fernandez has played a lot this season and featured in the Club World Cup with Chelsea in the summer, so it was more load management than any specific injury.
It means Fernandez will likely be capable of facing Nottingham Forest on Saturday.