It is just 10 days until the 2017/18 Premier League season kicks off, and currently the reigning champions have 17 senior players on their books.

Chelsea have just sold Nemanja Matic to rivals Manchester United, leaving their squad looking painfully thin ahead of a campaign which, unlike their last, victorious one, will feature the added pressure of Champions League football.

Here, Sportsmail examines the situation Chelsea find themselves in, and who should take responsibility...

Chelsea were celebrating after winning the Premier League, but things have turned sour since

After selling Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, Chelsea now have only 17 senior players

Antonio Conte has seen several key transfer targets missed, leaving Chelsea looking exposed

What has Chelsea’s business been so far?

Their signings have consisted of Alvaro Morata for £70.6m, Tiemoue Bakayoko for £40m, Antonio Rudiger for £31m and Willy Caballero for free.

Including those they have sent out on loan, Chelsea have let 26 players leave so far this summer, such as Nathan Ake, Kurt Zouma, Asmir Begovic, and, of course, Matic.

Why did they sell Matic to a main rival?

Chelsea clearly think they can do more with £40m than Manchester United can with Matic. That could turn out to be a mistake.

With Matic, who since January 2014 has made more tackles and interceptions than any United or Chelsea midfielder, Paul Pogba has more freedom to push further forward. Jose Mourinho described the 29-year-old as a ‘Jose Mourinho type of player’ for a reason.

After signing Bakayoko to partner N’Golo Kante, there was always talk of it being between Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic for who is sold to make room for the French 22-year-old. Yet to sell to a direct potential Premier League title rival is dangerous and unusual. Would United do the same with them? It is unlikely.

The club record signing of Alvaro Morata has given Chelsea much needed forward options

Has this summer been good or bad for Chelsea?

Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-0 but what stood out were their losses to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

All coaches who have European football to cope with want two players fighting for each position. Chelsea don’t have that as it stands. Worse still, Eden Hazard and Bakayoko are injured and will miss the start of the season. Pedro is recovering from the facial fractures he suffered during Chelsea’s defeat of Arsenal.

Diego Costa is unusable, John Terry has left on a free, and their young talent is still being sent out on loan at rapid speed. It is all self-inflicted but worrying.

26 players so far have left Chelsea this summer, including Nathan Ake to Bournemouth

Who does that leave in midfield for the start of the season?

With Nathaniel Chalobah having left for Watford for £5.5m, Ruben Loftus-Cheek gone to Crystal Palace on loan and Bakayoko injured, they have Kante, Fabregas and 22-year-old Lewis Baker.

Now, they are looking at adding Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater to their midfield. To some, that suggests desperate times are calling for desperate measures, though he would add to their quota of English talent.

Defeats to Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in pre-season have exposed Chelsea's problems

Is Antonio Conte unhappy?

He’s probably not as happy as Pep Guardiola, who has passed the £200m mark this summer. Manchester City are well and truly splashing the cash to satisfy their manager.

Conte has not appeared a pleased man on the club’s pre-season tour and the Italian has made several pleas for signings in press conferences.

The latest saw Conte admit he fears becoming the third boss to lose his job after winning the Premier League title, following Mourinho and and Claudio Ranieri. So no, he isn’t the happiest.

Chelsea have been linked with Leicester's Danny Drinkwater as they seek midfield options

What signings have they missed out on?

Chelsea were in the mix for Romelu Lukaku, who opted for Manchester United instead. That winded those behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.

The champions were also interested in Dani Alves, who then decided the choice was between Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. The full-back went for the latter.

They now have competition for Renato Sanches, who Bayern Munich are interested in sending out on loan. AC Milan appear to be winning that war so far.

Chelsea were heavily linked to Romelu Lukaku, who opted for Manchester United instead

So who has control of Chelsea’s transfers?

Is it Conte? Is it Michael Emenalo? Is it Marina Granovskaia? Those close like to say it’s the Italian coach, who signed a new two-year contract worth £18m last month.

In Conte’s mind, the Community Shield marks the start of the competitive season. ‘It is not a friendly game,’ he said this week. ‘It is an official game and there is a trophy.’

With the season days away, then, Chelsea aren’t where they want to be. There is work to be done.

Diego Costa looks unlikely to play for Chelsea again after being cast out by Conte

Will they sell anyone else?

We know Costa is not wanted, yet he is stuck in limbo. He wants Atletico Madrid, and they want him too, but he would be unable to play for them until January due to their ban.

Chelsea are still in the market, of course. They are interested in Alex Sandro of Juventus and Antonio Candreva of Inter, two players who were picked out by Conte. Then there is the scramble for Bayern Munich's Sanches. It will be a big month for Chelsea and Conte.