The striker's physical readiness for any given match remains enigmatic, the Serbian laboured against Jefferson Montero and the other key issues arising from Stamford Bridge
Jose Mourinho insisted on Friday that a draw at home to Swansea City would be no disaster but his Chelsea side flirted with the worst possible start to their Premier League title defence before securing a point.
Garry Monk's men produced the greater number of scoring chances at Stamford Bridge as the champions, spirited but startlingly vulnerable, saw Thibaut Courtois deservedly sent off for bringing down Bafetimbi Gomis.
Goal takes a look at five of the biggest talking points from Chelsea's opening-day battle...
HAMSTRUNG COSTA REMAINS AN ENIGMA
Not for the first time, question marks over Diego Costa's troubled hamstrings overshadowed Chelsea's preparations for a Premier League match. Yet when Jose Mourinho's men took to the field his talismanic striker showed no sign of being inhibited by his persistent muscular issues, and the fact that he failed to test Lukasz Fabianski was more the result of below-par service from midfield than any obvious lack of mobility or speed.
The dichotomy between what we see and what we hear with regards to Costa's fitness gets more mysterious by the week. It has gone beyond the conspiratorial theories of Mourinho mind games; the Chelsea boss genuinely seems no more knowledgable than anyone else over the Spain international's readiness on any given day.
There are suggestions that the "discomfort" Costa complained of prior to Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Arsenal has not shown up on any scans, and Mourinho will hope this means that, at the very least, the level of pain he is managing is not dangerous.
With Loic Remy boasting a troubled muscular history of his own and Radamel Falcao nowhere near Premier League match fitness, the ability of Costa to occupy an entire defence - as he did at points on Saturday - is just as invaluable to Chelsea as his goalscoring instincts.
IVANOVIC IS A PROBLEM AT RIGHT-BACK
Not for nothing did Mourinho name Branislav Ivanovic his new vice-captain this summer. The uncompromising Serb brings tenacity, leadership, boundless enthusiasm and a key aerial asset in both penalty areas.
But for all his best efforts, Ivanovic is not a right-back. He cannot cross - a fact proven by the willingness of almost every Chelsea opponent to leave him wide open on the right when Mourinho's men push forward - and he lacks the dynamism or positional sense to keep up with the quickest, trickiest wingers in the Premier League and beyond.
Jefferson Montero (or "Jeff" as Monk humorously called him in his post-match press conference) has claimed his fair share of victims since bursting into English football in the summer of 2014 - just ask Calum Chambers - but the ease and regularity with which he tormented Ivanovic must be a concern for Mourinho.
Shifting the faster Azpilicueta over to his favoured side might have mitigated the Ecuadorian's threat somewhat, but that tactical tweak would have required a natural left-back that Chelsea presently do not have.
Ivanovic clearly has a key role to play at Chelsea for years to come but if right-back is to continue to be his stage, his opponents must be very carefully managed.
Not for nothing did Mourinho name Branislav Ivanovic his new vice-captain this summer. The uncompromising Serb brings tenacity, leadership, boundless enthusiasm and a key aerial asset in both penalty areas.
But for all his best efforts, Ivanovic is not a right-back. He cannot cross - a fact proven by the willingness of almost every Chelsea opponent to leave him wide open on the right when Mourinho's men push forward - and he lacks the dynamism or positional sense to keep up with the quickest, trickiest wingers in the Premier League and beyond.
Jefferson Montero (or "Jeff" as Monk humorously called him in his post-match press conference) has claimed his fair share of victims since bursting into English football in the summer of 2014 - just ask Calum Chambers - but the ease and regularity with which he tormented Ivanovic must be a concern for Mourinho.
Shifting the faster Azpilicueta over to his favoured side might have mitigated the Ecuadorian's threat somewhat, but that tactical tweak would have required a natural left-back that Chelsea presently do not have.
Ivanovic clearly has a key role to play at Chelsea for years to come but if right-back is to continue to be his stage, his opponents must be very carefully managed.
OSCAR SHOWING SIGNS OF LIFE AGAIN
The biggest pity about Thibaut Courtois' sending off early in the second half was that Mourinho concluded, as he so often does, that Oscar was the luxury he could no longer abide.
In the first half the skinny Brazilian, seemingly refreshed by a first summer off since 2012, produced his best half of football for Chelsea in months. He interchanged positions slickly with Eden Hazard, curled a beautiful free-kick into the "corridor of uncertainty" for the game's opening goal and frequently wowed Stamford Bridge with a series of inspired flicks and unexpected passes that invariably came off.
After a summer of transfer speculation that saw him repeatedly cast as a possible makeweight in a Paul Pogba megadeal, Oscar needs a breakthrough season for Chelsea. At 23 his period of adaptation to English football should be over.
He can already turn matches with moments of magic and even string two or three breathtaking months together, but if Mourinho is to be fully convinced he can trust his "only true No.10" to share the creative burden with Hazard in the biggest games, nothing less than extending these hot streaks over a season will do.
The biggest pity about Thibaut Courtois' sending off early in the second half was that Mourinho concluded, as he so often does, that Oscar was the luxury he could no longer abide.
In the first half the skinny Brazilian, seemingly refreshed by a first summer off since 2012, produced his best half of football for Chelsea in months. He interchanged positions slickly with Eden Hazard, curled a beautiful free-kick into the "corridor of uncertainty" for the game's opening goal and frequently wowed Stamford Bridge with a series of inspired flicks and unexpected passes that invariably came off.
After a summer of transfer speculation that saw him repeatedly cast as a possible makeweight in a Paul Pogba megadeal, Oscar needs a breakthrough season for Chelsea. At 23 his period of adaptation to English football should be over.
He can already turn matches with moments of magic and even string two or three breathtaking months together, but if Mourinho is to be fully convinced he can trust his "only true No.10" to share the creative burden with Hazard in the biggest games, nothing less than extending these hot streaks over a season will do.
BEGOVIC HAS EARNED HIS MANCHESTER CITY AUDITION
As he watched Courtois trudge sullenly off the pitch early in the second half, the selfish part of Asmir Begovic's brain, inherent in human nature, will have felt a rush of adrenalin.
The Bosnian did not come to Stamford Bridge to resign himself to being Courtois' No.2, but he could not have hoped that he would get a chance to shine so quickly.
And shine he did, matching his Belgian rival save for impressive save to keep Chelsea level after picking Gomis' cool penalty out of the net with his first act for his new club.
Unless Courtois pursues and wins an unlikely appeal against his straight red card, it is Begovic who will be between the sticks when the Blues take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.
Any clash between two aspiring title contenders boasts an added level of intrigue so early in the season and Begovic will never be given a better stage on which to prove his worth - as Courtois' rival as well as his back-up.
As he watched Courtois trudge sullenly off the pitch early in the second half, the selfish part of Asmir Begovic's brain, inherent in human nature, will have felt a rush of adrenalin.
The Bosnian did not come to Stamford Bridge to resign himself to being Courtois' No.2, but he could not have hoped that he would get a chance to shine so quickly.
And shine he did, matching his Belgian rival save for impressive save to keep Chelsea level after picking Gomis' cool penalty out of the net with his first act for his new club.
Unless Courtois pursues and wins an unlikely appeal against his straight red card, it is Begovic who will be between the sticks when the Blues take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.
Any clash between two aspiring title contenders boasts an added level of intrigue so early in the season and Begovic will never be given a better stage on which to prove his worth - as Courtois' rival as well as his back-up.
SHELVEY STAKING EARLY ENGLAND CLAIM
In less than a month, England play two more matches in a Euro 2016 qualification process that is, for them, effectively already over. Six points clear with just four matches to play, the presence of Roy Hodgson's men in France next summer is all but guaranteed, leaving ample time to experiment with promising talent on the fringes.
On Saturday at Stamford Bridge, Jonjo Shelvey played like a man who senses an opportunity long overdue. He dominated the possession battle against what was the most balanced and effective midfield in the Premier League last season, consistently playing accurate and ambitious passes that allowed Gomis to expose the lack of pace at the heart of the Chelsea defence and, ultimately, to change the game.
Shelvey is one of those players who seems much older than he is. Talked about during the 2007-08 season as English football's next big thing when he emerged as a 17-year-old midfield tyro at Charlton Athletic, he flamed out after a promising start at Liverpool and now, at 23, is mysteriously peripheral to the thoughts of Hodgson and his England coaching staff.
Some have spoken of a 'Swansea factor' when it comes to England selection and, at times, it does seem that excellence produced by those who reside west of the River Severn is too readily ignored. Leon Britton never entered Hodgson's thoughts even as many cried out for English midfielders with genuine ball mastery.
Shelvey has inherited the leadership of the Swansea midfield and he has been very good very often for some time now, despite not featuring for his country since October 2012. Hodgson would be wise to take a look at him when next month's dead rubbers against San Marino and Switzerland come around.
In less than a month, England play two more matches in a Euro 2016 qualification process that is, for them, effectively already over. Six points clear with just four matches to play, the presence of Roy Hodgson's men in France next summer is all but guaranteed, leaving ample time to experiment with promising talent on the fringes.
On Saturday at Stamford Bridge, Jonjo Shelvey played like a man who senses an opportunity long overdue. He dominated the possession battle against what was the most balanced and effective midfield in the Premier League last season, consistently playing accurate and ambitious passes that allowed Gomis to expose the lack of pace at the heart of the Chelsea defence and, ultimately, to change the game.
Shelvey is one of those players who seems much older than he is. Talked about during the 2007-08 season as English football's next big thing when he emerged as a 17-year-old midfield tyro at Charlton Athletic, he flamed out after a promising start at Liverpool and now, at 23, is mysteriously peripheral to the thoughts of Hodgson and his England coaching staff.
Some have spoken of a 'Swansea factor' when it comes to England selection and, at times, it does seem that excellence produced by those who reside west of the River Severn is too readily ignored. Leon Britton never entered Hodgson's thoughts even as many cried out for English midfielders with genuine ball mastery.
Shelvey has inherited the leadership of the Swansea midfield and he has been very good very often for some time now, despite not featuring for his country since October 2012. Hodgson would be wise to take a look at him when next month's dead rubbers against San Marino and Switzerland come around.
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