The reigning champions are in danger of finishing the season in the bottom half and look set to play the final two games without their captain as a bad season gets worse.
When Chelseawaved goodbye to Jose Mourinho in December as it sat just one point above the relegation zone with 15 from 16 games, the prevalent opinion was that things could only get better for the reigning Premier League champions. But after the Blues twice surrendered a lead to suffer a 3-2 defeat to relegation-threatened Sunderland, leaving them in danger of a bottom-half finish, it became clear that the dark days are really not yet behind them.