How Chelsea should line up for the 2023-24 season: Moises Caicedo would be a transformative presence for the Blues

Pochettino has a sudden selection headache following the £25 million ($32m) arrival of Robert Sanchez from Brighton, but - for the time being, at least - it makes sense to stick with Kepa Arrizabalaga.

There's no guarantee he will be the long-term first choice, especially amid links with Bayern Munich, but Kepa offers a modicum of continuity amid the unprecedented upheaval. Aside from a few lapses, Kepa was much improved last season, with a 73% save percentage in the league and a post-shot xG minus goals allowed of +5, which meant he ranked third among Premier League goalkeepers in the most reliable metric for measuring shot-stopping ability.

Sanchez, on the other hand, lost his place at Brighton and slipped to third in the pecking order.

Pochettino has already suggested Kepa is his No.1 for the moment: "They know they are going to fight for the No.1. At the moment, Kepa is a little bit ahead. With time, we will see if Robert is there and can challenge Kepa."

A no-brainer on the right side of defence. Reece James is Chelsea's new club captain and, barring any further fitness issues on the horizon, he is a guaranteed starter.

Pochettino does prefer a 4-2-3-1 shape and there is an argument that James is not at his best in a flat back-four given his potency as an attacking wing-back. New signing Malo Gusto will also provide him with stiff competition and quality cover.

However, James is arguably the Blues' best player, and the added responsibility of the captaincy means he should be the first name on the team sheet.

The swansong begins. In what will likely be his final season at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will once again rely heavily upon the defensive nous and immeasurable experience of Thiago Silva.

Unsurprisingly, the 38-year-old phenomenon remained one of the club's most consistent performers throughout a turbulent 2022-23 campaign, and as a serial winner he will be determined to right the wrongs of last season on the pitch before bidding an emotional farewell to the Blues.

Indeed, he will also be crucial in being an on-field mentor for his young centre-back partner...

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He initially had to fight for his place in the team, but Levi Colwill eventually made his Premier League breakthrough on loan at Brighton in 2022-23 and he has proven that he is ready for the top level.

Given they have no European football to contend with and following the serious knee injury to Wesley Fofana, Pochettino should throw Colwill in at the deep end at left centre-back and build for the future. He has all the attributes to become a club legend.

It's an odd quirk that Chelsea's two full-backs have been their most important players in recent times.

Ben Chilwell demonstrated once again last season that he is a key figure for the Blues despite being derailed by a hamstring injury. Always an attacking threat from the left, he has seen off competition from Marc Cucurella to make the position his own.

Again, we may not see him at his best in a back four, but he is another sure-fire starter under Pochettino having taken on vice-captaincy duties.

Depending on how the rest of the transfer window plays out, we could see a completely different beast in Enzo Fernandez this season.

The midfielder has barely put a foot wrong since his blockbuster £106m ($135m) switch from Benfica in January, keeping the Blues ticking over with his metronomic passing from a deep-lying position.

However, with a more defensive-minded player alongside him, we should see him unleashed in a box-to-box role under his compatriot - similar to the one in which he shone for Argentina as they triumphed at the World Cup in Qatar.

The man who is absolutely essential to Chelsea's midfield rebuild.

After a bewildering transfer saga that has jolted back and forth over the past week, the west London club finally appear to be in the driving seat after late and unexpected competition from Liverpool.

A midfield destroyer cut from the same cloth as recently departed legend N'Golo Kante, Caicedo will be intrinsic to the way Chelsea play if and when a deal is finally signed off. An adept winner and passer of the ball, he will be a transformative presence as Enzo is unleashed alongside him.

A strong finish to the 2022-23 campaign prefaced an excellent showing for England's Under-21s as the Young Lions tasted glory at the European Championship in the summer.

With Raheem Sterling struggling for form in pre-season, Madueke has an opportunity to kick on and make the right-wing position his own.

His ball-carrying and ability to turn his man inside out made him Chelsea's biggest attacking threat at the back end of last season, and now he must continue on that upward trajectory.

A serious knee injury in the club's final pre-season friendly - on a pitch in Chicago that was unfit for purpose - was a cruel blow for Christopher Nkunku and Chelsea.

The new signing would have carried much of the creative and scoring burden having registered 126 goal contributions in just 172 appearances at former club RB Leipzig.

Having been deprived of his attacking output until at least December, Pochettino will have to look to alternatives; Conor Gallagher is one of few options, but a new signing and a shift to a more traditional 4-3-3 should not be ruled out.

Just eight months since he joined the club, this feels like a make or break season for £88.5m ($112m) man Mykhailo Mudryk.

The winger showed flashes of his obvious potential following his arrival, but clearly struggled to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League and was among the host of Chelsea players to suffer a crisis of confidence as their campaign unravelled.

His pre-season has been promising, including an excellent goal against Brighton to get off the mark for the club, with his electrifying pace and skill on full display. After a period of adaptation and a full summer to work on his strength and conditioning, it's time for him to show what he's got.

No one would have foreseen Nicolas Jackson being Chelsea's starting No.9 a matter of months ago, but - barring a seismic shift in the transfer window - that will be the reality.

Though he was an unknown quantity when he arrived, the striker has captured the imagination in pre-season, demonstrating excellent hold-up and link-up play, as well as composure and cool finishing ability.

As a result, there will be expectation on his shoulders. If Chelsea don't spend again on a new centre-forward, then he will be charged with delivering the goods in front of goal. No pressure, then.