BREAKING: Mauricio Pochettino Drops 5 Players From #Chelsea Pre-Season Squad [FULL LIST]—Mauricio Pochettino has made the decision to exclude five Chelsea players from the club’s pre-season plans as he aims to streamline the squad.
Last season, the Blues found themselves with an excessive number of players on their books, resulting in a crowded training environment and limitations in squad selections for competitions such as the Champions League.
To address this issue, Pochettino has been actively working to reduce the squad size, allowing for a more focused and cohesive team.
The effects of the bloated squad were evident, with first-team training sessions regularly accommodating between 33 and 40 players.
To mitigate this overcrowding, the club even had to extend the size of the dressing room, as revealed by Thiago Silva.
Recognizing the need for a more manageable squad, Chelsea has undertaken a significant clear-out this summer, parting ways with several high-profile players, including Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante, and Cesar Azpilicueta.
In preparation for the upcoming season, Pochettino has been diligently training the remaining players at Chelsea’s Cobham training base for approximately two weeks.
The team will now travel to North Carolina, where they are scheduled to face League Two newcomers Wrexham at the Kenan Memorial Stadium on Thursday.
However, it has been reported by the Daily Mail that five players have been omitted from the traveling party.
Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and the returning Romelu Lukaku are deemed surplus to requirements and will not be part of the squad.
Pochettino has made it clear that he does not favor Ziyech, Aubameyang, or Lukaku, instructing them to report for training at Cobham on Tuesday, a day after the team departs for the United States.
Marseille has shown interest in acquiring Aubameyang, who arrived at Chelsea just last summer but struggled to find form, scoring only one Premier League goal and falling out of favor.
Ziyech’s potential move to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr fell through due to a knee problem identified during his medical examination.
Lukaku, on the other hand, has attracted attention from Al Hilal and Juventus, with the latter hoping to secure his services in Italy.
After spending last season on loan at Inter Milan, Lukaku’s future remains uncertain, as the Nerazzurri have decided against signing him permanently for a second time.
The other two players left at Cobham during the pre-season preparations are young talents Omari Hutchinson and Harvey Vale.
They will continue their development at the training base under the guidance of Chelsea’s coaching staff.
In addition to the friendly match against Wrexham, Chelsea has lined up several other pre-season fixtures, including matches against Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund.
These games will provide an opportunity for Pochettino to assess the team’s progress, evaluate individual performances, and fine-tune tactics ahead of the new season.
As Pochettino trims down the squad and focuses on building a cohesive team, the omitted players will need to consider their options and determine their future paths.
For now, their absence from the pre-season plans highlights Pochettino’s commitment to reshaping the Chelsea squad and fostering an environment that promotes success and unity.
