Chelsea's calamitous display against Burnley is stark proof the squad is not ready

Ironically, Saturday’s calamitous first half at Stamford Bridge may have been a blessing in disguise for Chelsea.

This squad isn’t ready. Nowhere near ready. With all due respect, champions don’t go in 3-0 down at half time to clubs like Burnley.

Chelsea and Antonio Conte have got 19 days to sort out this mess. If they don’t then how this season ends for Chelsea is anyone’s guess.

The fact Conte handed 20-year-old Jeremie Boga — as talented as he is — his senior debut told his own story.

The sending offs — and subsequent suspensions — of Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas have merely served to compound Conte’s concerns over his threadbare squad.

This team needs reinforcements, quickly. Their spirited second half comeback doesn’t mask the fact.

So where do they start?

Replacing Nemanja Matic would be a start. The N’Golo Kante/Matic axis was vital to Chelsea’s title winning campaign.

We know what Cesc Fabregas, who partnered Kante on Saturday, brings to the table. Passing, vision and guile.

But sometimes you need less invention and subtleness and more power and ruggedness.

Summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko could be the answer, but Conte is slowly nursing the former Monaco man back from a knee injury.

Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater is high on Conte’s list of candidates to replace Matic, whose move to Manchester United is known to have angered the Blues boss.

Whether the Foxes would even entertain losing their influential midfielder remains to be seen — but Chelsea seem intent on finding out.

Upgrading both wing back positions remains a necessity for Chelsea going into the closing days of the transfer window.

Victor Moses, who missed Saturday’s loss through suspension, came out of nowhere to make the right-sided role his own last season.

But, at the very least, Chelsea require someone to push Moses. Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has already been the subject of a failed £25million bid. Paris Saint Germain’s Serge Aurier and Inter Milan’s Antonio Candreva are also on the right-sided list.

Like Moses, Marcos Alonso surprised many with his excellent displays at left-wing back last season.

But the fact Chelsea are looking for an alternative to Alonso is clear. Juventus’s Alex Sandro is Conte’s No 1 target for the position, but Chelsea aren’t ruling out a late transfer window move for Danny Rose.

Similarly, if Southampton show any inkling of softening their stance on Virgil van Dyke, then expect Chelsea to be at the front of the queue for the centre-back.

In short: there’s plenty of work to be done in just under three weeks.

Why that work wasn’t done sooner is a question Conte would like answers to.