Chelsea manager Graham Potter says he is relishing the challenge of getting the best out of his bloated squad after the Blues smashed their record spending during the January transfer window.
World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez could make his debut against Fulham on Friday after joining for an English record 121 million euros ($132 million, £107 million) from Benfica.
Ukraine’s Mykhailo Mudryk could also make his Stamford Bridge bow after joining Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee that could reach 100 million euros.
Chelsea signed a total of eight players in January, with total spending in the first season under new ownership in excess of £500 million.
Despite the investment, Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League table and have been knocked out of both domestic cups by Manchester City.
The Potters have a 10-point deficit to make up if they are to clinch the top four.
And the former Brighton boss faces a difficult task, unable to register all the new arrivals for the final stages of this season’s Champions League.
“It’s exciting,” said Potter, who only arrived at the club in September.
“It’s a test for me and for the staff and everybody, but it’s really fun. We’ve got a lot of really good players.
“We have to create an environment where there is healthy competition and we can push each other and at the same time understand that there is frustration because only 11 can play.
“But we have many important matches and we have to improve our results to play, support the team and be ready to play.”
Choice
Potter suddenly has a lot of options to choose from, with Chelsea’s long injury list starting to clear up.
Reece James, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are again available for selection.
“There is a young dynamic and you can see the type of players that have tried to come in. We are trying to build something for now and the future,” said Potter, referring to Chelsea’s much-criticised transfer policy.
“We’ve had an unprecedented injury situation, a lot has happened. We’ve learned a lot and can attack in the second half of the season.
Argentina’s Fernandez was signed with minutes to spare as lengthy negotiations with Benfica ended on Tuesday.
But not all of Chelsea’s business is done – a move to send Hakim Ziyech to Paris Saint-Germain on loan collapsed after paperwork was not completed in time.
“I’m the head coach so I’m not too involved in the nitty-gritty of deadline day,” Potter said.
“I knew for a long time that some things were out of my control and I couldn’t do anything to change them. I knew we had signed Enzo when everything was done and I was very happy because he is a very good player.