Roberto De Zerbi is asking for some extra input at team selection meetings these days.

The Albion head coach is keeping a close eye on the workload and any injury concerns for his players.

He spoke about the medical advice he is taking after making changes at Chelsea, both before and during the Carabao Cup third-round tie.

Lewis Dunk sat out a second game out of three, although he was on the subs bench this time.

Adam Webster was not part of the matchday squad after his 90 minutes against Bournemouth.

And the timing of substitutions involving Kaoru Mitoma, Ansu Fati, Mahmoud Dahoud, Solly March and Danny Welbeck were also no accident.

Albion are tackling a period which will be demanding on bodies and minds.

But also one which De Zerbi sees as potentially beneficial in the longer term as they play a flurry of fixtures, then work for two weeks during the international window.

Ansu has now played the equivalent of a full game over the past week – 45 minutes against Bournemouth and 45 more at Stamford Bridge.

De Zerbi said: “Before the game I spoke with him.

“Ansu played 45 minutes on Sunday against Bournemouth.

“Now, when I decide the first XI, I stay in my office with my staff and the medical staff.

“Ansu in the last period didn’t play so many games.

“If I play 90 minutes with him it is a big risk for him, for us.

“But the same is for (Adam) Lallana, for Welbeck.

“After the game I spoke with him and I told him he could play only 45 minutes to be in good condition for Saturday.

“Because on Saturday we have another big, big game.”

The Stamford Bridge clash saw Albion draw a rare blank in front of goal.

They had their chances to be ahead in the first half, when Joao Pedro and Ansu should have scored against a Chelsea side whose nerves at the back had been transmitted to their fans.

Albion remain the top scorers in the league and De Zerbi loves to see them pile up winning margins.

There have been comfortable wins in which they could have added to their tally with the points already in the bank.

De Zerbi believes being able to do that would help them for tighter games such as that on Wednesday.

He said: “I think we are in a good level of mentality.

“We can be stronger when we have to score, when we have to kill the game.

“I love when we score four or five goals because I want it to become a habit to score so many goals because it is a part of mentality, scoring many goals.

“But we are working with young players.

“With young players it is different.

“Working with Baleba or Pascal Gross is two different jobs.”

While Gross and James Milner are out until the international break, De Zerbi hopes to have Evan Ferguson back from illness at Villa.

Wednesday’s selection appears to suggest starts for certain players on Saturday – Dunk, Webster, Billy Gilmour, Solly March and possibly Jason Steele and Danny Welbeck.

De Zerbi said at Stamford Bridge: “(Mahmoud) Dahoud and Mitoma couldn’t play 90 minutes and then Saturday in Birmingham another 90 minutes.

“In this moment I have to manage in a different way.

“We have to adapt, we have to improve.

“Young players have to progress quickly – (Facundo) Buonanotte, (Carlos) Baleba - because in football we don’t have time.

“I don’t want to make any excuses.

“It was the right first XI to win the game.

“I’m disappointed because this competition has finished and we came here to win the game.”

“We did enough to win the game. But to win the game we have to score a goal.

“We didn’t score a goal, especially in the first when we had many chances to score – not difficult chances.

“But we were not able to score and then you open the game. We concede a goal in the second half.

“I don’t remember the way. We lost a ball with Solly March and we concede a not clear goal – offside or not, I don’t know.

“I am sorry, I am disappointed for the result because I wanted to compete in four competitions.

“I think the first XI was enough to win this game.”