Thomas Tuchel warned Chelsea cannot afford to trim their squad before the transfer window closes after losing hamstring injury victim N'Golo Kante for "several weeks".
The head coach would be prepared to consider player exits if he can bring in top-class replacements, but until then the likes of Christian Pulisic and Callum Hudson-Odoi will be staying.
That was the firm message from the Blues boss on Friday, two days out from his team's trip to Leeds United in the Premier League.
He said Kante's injury, sustained in last week's thrilling 2-2 draw with Tottenham, was "quite serious".
"We're talking about weeks, which is not good news," Tuchel said. "We're disappointed and sad because N'Golo was super important and super fit, and he will be out for several weeks."
Armando Broja and Mateo Kovacic are also out of contention this weekend, and while it has been mooted that Chelsea are open to loaning out some first-team players, Tuchel is adamant that should not happen at the moment. Pulisic has been linked with Manchester United.
"We will not comment on our players and will not encourage our players to go out in the moment," Tuchel said
"If I put the chin a little bit up and look at the schedule which is coming, with Southampton during the week and two Champions League matches ... it's coming, it's in front of the door, we will need a lot of quality players to be competitive."
Tuchel's outlook will change if Chelsea can corner their targets and bring them to Stamford Bridge.
"We work together about the reinforcements, but it's never easy," said the German. "It's not that we can wish for something and it will happen. As long as the transfer window is open, there are always possibilities."
Having loaned out Romelu Lukaku to Inter, Chelsea are lacking a proven striker in the number nine mould. The likes of Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz could do a job there, and may have to on a regular basis if Chelsea cannot sign a targetman.
"I believe we can compete with this group, but to be very honest it's one thing to compete once a week and another thing to compete 60 times in a year and three times in a week," Tuchel said.
"For this you need a strong group, and you need players who challenge for their place and their minutes and push each other to the highest level.
"We are very happy about the performance, and we are still active in the market, and we know what can be possible, but if not we will make the very best out of it.
"If we are looking, we're looking for high quality, and we're looking for personality that suits our group and suits our club, and nothing has changed."
Chelsea won 3-0 at Elland Road last season but surprisingly have never won consecutive away league games at Leeds. They were last beaten by the Yorkshire side in December 2002, when a 2-0 loss at Leeds was incurred after an own goal from William Gallas and a strike from a 16-year-old James Milner
Chelsea hoped Broja would be making an early-season impact after returning from his loan to Southampton, but the 20-year-old Albanian striker is on the injured list for now.
"We know enough about him, but it's one thing to perform on a loan and another to perform in a club like Chelsea," Tuchel said. "He's injured again, and that does not help his own ambitions and does not help us in having a clear view of what he can give us.
"Given the size of the squad at the moment, I would say it's a huge chance for Armando to have an impact at Chelsea. I understand this is his clear ambition, his clear goal to make this step here. He has our support, but unfortunately it's the second time he's injured in a short period of time, and he's held back for that reason."
Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to be awarded the three points if their game with Manchester United on Monday at Old Trafford is called off due to fan protests.
United supporter group 'The 1958' this week announced plans to protest against the "vile ownership" and show the Glazer family "this time it will not blow over."
Fan protests ahead of the game between the two clubs in May 2021, when fans gained access to the stadium despite the game being scheduled behind closed doors due to COVID-19 protocols, caused the contest to be postponed, with Liverpool winning the rearranged fixture 4-2 a week and a half later.
When asked at a press conference on Friday if the club has made plans for a similar situation on Monday, Klopp said: "Yeah, we will get on the bus and go home.
"I really hope it doesn't happen but if it happens I think we should get the points. We have nothing to do with the situation. If that happens the supporters want the game to not happen then we cannot just rearrange the game again and fit it in somewhere in an incredibly busy [calendar].
"I don't think and really hope this will not happen. I have no idea what could happen, I don't think about it. Hopefully, we are fine, we go there, play the game and go home. But if, and I think always in this situation like this, the other team should get the points because they have nothing to do with it. They have prepared for it."
Neither side has won a game yet this season after two matches each, with Liverpool drawing twice and United losing both matches.
Questions are already being asked about whether new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag will be able to get his team to play his pressing style effectively, and Klopp refused to comment on a query about if United's squad would be capable of adapting.
However, he did provide some insight to his own experience when he arrived at Liverpool in October 2015, citing his first game in charge - a goalless draw at Tottenham.
"I loved our first game," he reminisced. "We had two days. It was a Saturday game so the players came back from internationals on the Wednesday, and we had Thursday, Friday, not really to train, to recover and then to have one session.
"For the first impression of an idea, it was outstanding. I still can see Adam Lallana flying around and pressing everybody who had a different shirt, so that was really cool. A cool first sign for me, yeah, but that's it."
Real Madrid have expressed "gratitude and appreciation" to "exemplary player" Casemiro ahead of his move to Manchester United.
United have agreed a fee reported to be £60million plus £10m in add-ons to take the midfielder to Old Trafford.
The Brazil international is set to sign a four-year deal with the Red Devils, who are bottom of the Premier League after losing their first two Premier League games under new boss Erik ten Hag.
Casemiro joined Los Blancos in January 2013 at the age of 20 and has gone on to win 18 trophies - including the Champions League five times, three LaLiga titles and the Club World Cup on three occasions.
The 30-year-old will appear before the media in the press room at Real Madrid City on Monday, when president Florentino Perez will be present as the LaLiga champions stage a ceremony to bid farewell to the long-serving enforcer.
Madrid paid tribute to Casemiro after confirming a deal has been agreed with the Red Devils on Friday.
A statement on the club's official website said: "Real Madrid would like to express its gratitude and appreciation to Casemiro, who is part of the club's history."
After listing his many honours during his time in the Spanish capital, the European champions added: "In addition to this brilliant list of achievements, Casemiro will always be remembered by the Madridistas as representing the values of our club. An exemplary player who has given his all for Real Madrid.
"Real Madrid is and always will be his home, and we wish him and all his family the best of luck in this new chapter of his life.
With United facing Liverpool on the same day of Casemiro's press conference in Madrid, his debut could come at Southampton a week on Saturday.
Manchester United have agreed a deal in principle to sign midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £60million.
The Brazil international is set to become the fourth arrival of this window after Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.
Casemiro, who had three years remaining on his contract with Madrid, brings plenty of quality and experience to Erik ten Hag's midfield after racking up over 300 appearances during nine trophy-filled years at Santiago Bernabeu.
Indeed, the 30-year-old won five Champions Leagues with Los Blancos - scoring against Juventus in the 2017 final - as well as four LaLiga titles and three Club World Cups.
Casemiro struggled to nail down a regular spot following his move to Madrid from Sao Paulo in 2013; spending the 2014-15 season on loan at Portuguese giants Porto.
However, he did not look back after cementing his place in the starting line-up during the 2015-16 campaign, with no midfielder winning more tackles in LaLiga since then (415).
The Brazilian has also completed 368 interceptions in the past seven seasons - with Dani Garcia (399) the sole midfielder to better that tally - while Dani Parejo (1,666) and Sergio Busquets (1,504) were the only players in his position to win possession on more occasions than him (1,462).
Ten Hag has been keen to bolster his ranks in midfield ever since assuming the reins at Old Trafford, with Eriksen's arrival the first piece of that jigsaw.
But by and large it has been a window of frustration for United, who have spent the majority of the past few months pursuing Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong only to hit several bumps in the road.
A deal was reportedly agreed with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot only for that transfer to break down due to the player's excessive wage demands.
That led United to Casemiro, with rumours over the move only surfacing on Thursday.
But the transfer appeared all but done when Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti confirmed Casemiro had expressed a desire to complete a move away from the Spanish capital.
"We've spoken this morning, he wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I understand this, also the club does," Ancelotti said on Friday.
"Because of what he has done in this club, his desire and due to everything he has done for this team, we need to be respectful of this.
"There are negotiations between the clubs, he is still a Real Madrid player but it looks like he is now willing to depart. If he is departing we have a lot of resources to replace him.
"I've always talked a lot with him in my second time at Real Madrid. I just listened to his desire, I think there's no turning back. This is what he wants."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.