Chelsea will be without at least five players as the squad reports back for pre-season training on Thursday. New manager Xabi Alonso is set to meet his players for the first time at Cobham, but a handful of stars are still competing in the latter stages of the World Cup.
Absentees due to World Cup
England stars Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are among those unable to take part in Alonso's first training session. The Blues will keep a close eye on club captain James, who missed England's recent win over Mexico due to injury. Enzo Fernandez is aiming for back-to-back World Cups with Argentina, while goalkeeper Mike Penders is with Belgium, and Malo Gusto hopes to lift the trophy with France.
It remains unclear whether players eliminated earlier will report on Thursday. Pedro Neto suffered round-of-16 heartbreak as Spain defeated Portugal. Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez were part of Ecuador's squad that reached the last 32, while Nicolas Jackson and Mamadou Sarr exited after Senegal's loss to Belgium. Jorrel Hato was in the Netherlands squad that lost to Morocco on penalties in the first knockout round.
Cole Palmer returns after World Cup snub
One Chelsea player not involved in the World Cup is Cole Palmer. The attacking midfielder was a high-profile omission from Thomas Tuchel's England squad following an injury-hit season. Palmer, who scored for England in the Euro 2024 final, has addressed his snub as he prepares for pre-season.
"Every player that plays football wants to be at the World Cup, but it's a decision that I cannot change and a hard one, for whatever reason," Palmer told The Times. "I'm just trying to enjoy the summer off — the first summer I've ever had off. Yeah, of course it's nice fans suggesting I should have been included, but I'm not there. I know what I could have offered — something different to what the manager has picked. But I can't change the decision and I wish everyone all the best."
Alonso's first pre-season
Alonso, who signed a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge after leaving Real Madrid in January, will take charge of Chelsea training for the first time on Thursday. The Blues finished 10th last season and hope for improvement under the Spanish coach. Their first pre-season friendly is against Western Sydney Wanderers on July 28, and the Premier League season begins away at Fulham on August 24.
