Five Chelsea stars absent as Cole Palmer set to return to pre-season training after snub
Chelsea stars are set to return for pre-season, but Xabi Alonso will be without several players at Cobham
Xabi Alonso will begin working with his Chelsea squad during pre-season(Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
Chelsea will be missing at least five players as the squad returns for pre-season training on Thursday. Xabi Alonso is set to meet his new players for the first time as the team gathers at Cobham ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The Blues will be hoping for significant improvement under Alonso after a disappointing 10th-place finish last season. The Spanish tactician has put pen to paper on a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge, having been without a club since leaving Real Madrid in January.
The 44-year-old will oversee Chelsea training for the first time on Thursday, with the side’s opening pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers scheduled for Tuesday, July 28. The club are due to kick off their Premier League campaign away at local rivals Fulham on Monday, August 24.
The former Bayer Leverkusen head coach will be keen to get to work with his new squad, but will be without several notable absentees at the start of pre-season. A handful of Chelsea players are still involved in the closing stages of the World Cup.
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England internationals Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are among those unavailable for Alonso’s first training session as Chelsea manager. However, the Blues will be monitoring club captain James closely, having missed the Three Lions’ recent victory over Mexico through injury.
Enzo Fernandez is currently bidding to help Argentina win back-to-back World Cups. Goalkeeper Mike Penders is part of Belgium’s squad, while full-back Malo Gusto will be hoping to lift the iconic trophy with France.
It remains to be seen whether any players eliminated in earlier rounds will return to Cobham on Thursday. Pedro Neto suffered World Cup heartbreak in the round of 16 as a late Spain goal knocked out Portugal.
Moises Caicedo and Kendry Paez featured in Ecuador’s squad that reached the last 32. Nicolas Jackson and Mamadou Sarr departed at the same stage following Senegal’s dramatic defeat to Belgium.
Meanwhile, Jorrel Hato was part of the Netherlands squad that fell to Morocco on penalties in the first knockout round. One notable Chelsea absentee from the World Cup is Cole Palmer.
The attacking midfielder was a high-profile omission from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad following his injury-hit season. Palmer, who netted for the Three Lions in the Euro 2024 final, has already spoken out about his World Cup omission as he gears up 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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