Jason Cundy has warned that Chelsea face a testing one to three years as they seek to fight their way back up to the top of English football.
Chelsea are now looking at playing Europa League football next season after suffering a 3-1 defeat at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
They could also find their resolve to keep star players tested, with Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois linked with Real Madrid, while N'Golo Kante is a target for Paris Saint-Germain.
And Cundy believes that a testing time awaits Chelsea, though he still believes the club can attract players without Champions League football.
"I think this is going to be a very testing 12, 24, 36 months for this football club because of the position we have just found ourselves in", Cundy said on Chelsea TV.
relatedNewsStory
"Spurs, Liverpool and Man City have got much stronger over the last two years and though we've won two titles in the last three years we find ourselves outside the Champions League.
"But we're talking about a massive club and there will be plenty of players across Europe, big players, that still want to progress their career and will want to join this club."
Chelsea could make a managerial change in the summer as current boss Antonio Conte is continuing to be linked with quitting Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Conte has been linked with a return to take charge of the Italy national team, while PSG are also mooted as an option for the former Juventus tactician.
