New Chelsea Boss Maurizio Sarri Faces Race Against Time to Prepare Squad Ahead of New Season

Chelsea have formally announced the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as their new manager after weeks of speculation, with the Italian now facing the task of

Chelsea have formally announced the appointment of Maurizio Sarri as their new manager after weeks of speculation, with the Italian now facing the task of whipping his squad into shape before the Premier League kicks off in a month's time.

The former Napoli boss, who nearly beat Juventus to the Serie A title with the Italian side last season, replaces compatriot Antonio Conte in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

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And while the dispute between Conte and Chelsea continues to rage on behind the scenes, the Telegraph are now reporting on the ways in which Sarri must now get to grips with his new side and the problems he must deal with over the remainder of the summer.

For one thing, the futures of key players Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois remain in serious doubt. Hazard in particular is a worry following his comments made after Belgium's win over England on Saturday, where he heavily implied he would be looking to move on from Chelsea this summer.

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Hazard will not have returned for pre-season training in time for Chelsea's first friendly against Perth Glory on July 23rd, but Chelsea will seek to discuss terms on a new deal with the player's agent this week.

Meanwhile, Belgian goalkeeper Courtois has held off on negotiating a new deal until after the World Cup and, with his children living in Madrid, it is widely believed he too could seek a move this summer.

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According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are prepared to sell Courtois if they can sign an adequate replacement such as Roma's Alisson Becker, but are nonetheless prepared for a difficult summer ahead in the transfer market.

Real Madrid are rumoured to be interested in both Hazard and Courtois and have a large enough transfer budget and wage bill to accommodate them following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus last week.

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Meanwhile, the differences between Sarri and Conte's tactics could also present something of a logistical problem for Chelsea, with the new manager preferring to play with a back four rather than Conte's famous back 3. 

This could present difficultues due to Chelsea's lack of conventional full-backs, with the likes of Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses better suited to playing as wing-backs.