Another week, another exercise in watching from the sidelines for Chelsea's Captain, Leader, Legend John Terry.
Indeed, rather than age or injuries, a tactical switch to a 3-4-3 formation appears to have put the final nail in the coffin of the centre-back's Stamford Bridge career.
You can hardly blame Antonio Conte; the new system, which he brought in whilst Terry was injured, has worked wonders, instigating a seven-game winning streak to rocket his new club up the Premier League table.
In the process, Chelsea have conceded just once - to Christian Eriksen on Saturday - following a run of six consecutive clean sheets.
That might suggest the Blues are already well-equipped for life without JT. But Chelsea will need a replacement body at the back and the jury's still out on whether Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz are the perfect defensive trio long-term.
With that in mind, Football FanCast have taken a look at four centre-backs Chelsea should look to sign in January, who can not only succeed John Terry in terms of leadership and world-class quality but also fit into Conte's three-man defensive system.
Virgil Van Dijk
This season, Virgil van Dijk has been the most talked about centre-back in the Premier League. According to Squawka, he is currently the third-best performing defender in the division.
The Dutchmank has been crucial to Southampton's major scalps this campaign and has rarely been out- battled by any of the league's best front-men. Much like Varane, his speed and ability to play out of defence render van Dijk capable of playing anywhere across Chelsea's back three.
His leadership qualities may be lacking behind Terry's but at 24, VvD's of the right age to start undertaking more responsibility.
Leonardo Bonucci
During the summer, Leonardo Bonucci inspired Italy to the last eight of Euro 2016. The Juventus defender was instrumental in Conte's success with the national team and the Blues boss should now be considering a move for the defender.
Indeed, Bonucci is well known to the Italian manager, and according to reports from The Telegraph in October, Abramovich is willing to finance a world-record move for the centre-half.
At Juventus, Bonucci was part of Conte's infamous defensive trio - something he's trying to emulate at Chelsea.
Raphael Varane
One of the hottest young prospects in the world, Varane continuously struggles to find a foothold in the Real Madrid team due to the form of Pepe and Sergio Ramos.
A move may be on the cards for the Frenchman, and a Chelsea switch makes sense. Varane's pace and quality on the ball would suit Conte's defensive structure and he would finally become a first-team regular.
And at 23 years of age, Varane represents a worthwhile long-term investment.
Diego Godin
Age may not be on Godin's side, but what Chelsea could lose in Terry they could gain in the Uruguayan minus five years.
The veteran defender has been instrumental in Atletico's recent success and famously scored the goal in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in 2014.
Godin will have just two years remaining on his contract next summer, which could convince Diego Simeone's side to cash in. He's certainly got the leadership skills to replace Terry's, but would be a short-term option for the Blues.