Chelsea star picks up hamstring injury and is set to miss pre-season tour of Australia

Chelsea are set to be without striker Emanuel Emegha due to a hamstring injury he picked up in a test match, as per reports. The Blues are set to jet out to Australia for their first tour ahead of the 2026-27 season.

According to BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella, the lanky striker will miss the Australia leg of the tour after he injured his hamstring. He picked up the injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Bromley in which he scored as the Blues won 3-0.

Chelsea signed Netherlands international Emegha early in the 2025-26 season but let him remain at sister club Strasbourg for the whole season. He joined the team in training under Xabi Alonso since the start of pre-season, scoring in behind-closed-doors friendlies against Crawley Town and Bromley.

Emanuel Emegha struggled with injuries in his final season at Strasbourg, playing just 18 times across all competitions despite being their first-choice striker. He scored eight goals and provided two assists in his final season with the French club, helping them to reach the semi-final of the UEFA Conference League.

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso will now be without Emegha for the games against A-League outfit Western Sydney Wanderers on July 28 and Tottenham Hotspur on August 1. The team will proceed to Hong Kong for the second leg of their pre-season tour before travelling to Indonesia.

Alonso has Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and young striker Dastan Satpayev in the 27-man squad that will arrive in Australia. Emegha, who has impressed the Spanish tactician, could return for the rest of the tour, but he will not make it to Australia.

Chelsea star gets rare first-team shot due to injury opening

Chelsea star Omari Kellyman is set for a rare first-team opportunity this summer following his inclusion in the pre-season squad. The former Aston Villa youngster has yet to make a senior appearance for the Blues in a competitive or friendly fixture since signing for the club in 2024.

Xabi Alonso’s side were dealt a blow as new signing Geovany Quenda sustained a minor injury in training, ruling him out of the trip to Australia. The manager has called up 20-year-old Kellyman to take the place of the teenager in the 27-man squad that will face Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham.

Kellyman saw his first season in Blue ravaged by injuries as he played in the academy. He enjoyed a fine loan spell at League One outfit Cardiff City last season, scoring 11 goals and providing two assists in 36 league appearances, and has been earmarked for another loan this season. He will now get his chance to prove his quality in Alonso’s side.