Five players missing from Chelsea pre-season as Cole Palmer set to return after brutal snub
Chelsea players are set to report for pre-season, but new manager Xabi Alonso will be without a handful of stars at Cobham
Chelsea will be without at least five players as the squad reports back for pre-season training on Thursday. Xabi Alonso is set to meet his new players for the first time as the team returns to Cobham to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
The Blues will hope to enjoy an improved season under Alonso after finishing 10th last term. The Spanish coach has signed a four-year deal at Stamford Bridge, having been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January.
The 44-year-old will take charge of Chelsea training for the first time on Thursday, with the team's first pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers set for Tuesday, July 28. The club are scheduled to begin the Premier League season away at rivals Fulham on Monday, August 24.
The former Bayer Leverkusen boss will be eager to begin working with his fresh squad, but will be without some notable names as pre-season gets underway. A handful of Chelsea players are still competing in the latter stages of the World Cup.
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England stars Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are among those unable to take part in Alonso's first training session as Chelsea manager. However, the Blues will still be keeping a close eye on club captain James, who missed the Three Lions' recent win over Mexico due to injury.
Enzo Fernandez is currently aiming to win back-to-back World Cups with Argentina. Goalkeeper Mike Penders is part of Belgium's squad, and full-back Malo Gusto will hope to lift the iconic trophy with France.
It remains to be seen whether any players who exited the tournament in the earlier rounds will report back to Cobham on Thursday. Pedro Neto suffered World Cup heartbreak in the round of 16 as a late Spain goal defeated Portugal.
Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez were part of Ecuador's squad that reached the last 32. Nicolas Jackson and Mamadou Sarr exited at the same stage after Senegal's dramatic loss to Belgium.
Meanwhile, Jorrel Hato was in the Netherlands squad that lost to Morocco on penalties in the first knockout round. One Chelsea player who has not been involved in the World Cup is Cole Palmer.
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The attacking midfielder was a high-profile omission from Thomas Tuchel's England squad following his injury-hit season. Palmer, who scored for the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final, has already addressed his World Cup snub as he prepares to return 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. "But 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 Palmer should have been included], but I'm not there. I know what I could have offered, you know — something different to what the manager has picked. But like I said before, I can't change the decision and I wish everyone all the best."
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