With a new manager and a depleted pre-season roster, the time is now for some of the squad’s fringe players to carve out a spot for themselves. This Chelsea Pre-season tour will allow new coach Enzo Maresca to try out different players in new roles as he awaits the return of some key names from international duty.
Players Who Have to Perform On This Chelsea Pre-Season Tour
Wesley Fofana
Things haven’t gone too well for the Frenchman since his big-money move from Leicester City. Since transferring to the Blues in 2022 he has only appeared in 15 Premier League games, missing the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign due to an injury.
Competition is high and patience is likely to be at an all-time low for a player who has missed more matches than he’s played. At 23, there’s a lot of time for the centre-back to turn things around but if he doesn’t impress now, he may have to wait for his chance to get back into the starting rotation.
Andrey Santos
For very different reasons, this summer’s tour is going to be an important one for the Brazilian talent. The midfield is absolutely packed at Chelsea with Conor Gallagher, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Enzo Fernandez, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall all competing for minutes. While there’s no way to know for definite, the expectation is Maresca will use a 4-3-3 meaning all of these players will be competing for just three spots.
Despite that, there is a glimmer of hope for the 20-year-old. He impressed last term during his loan at Strasbourg and bossed the midfield once he was deployed. There’s a chance that a new manager could be won over and give Santos a spot in the squad this season where he could get invaluable experience in the Conference League or cup competitions.
Mykhailo Mudryk/Raheem Sterling
Yes, a two-for-one deal here. One of the major questions about how Chelsea will set up under Maresca is the left-wing spot. The two clear options are Mudryk and Sterling but neither player had a stellar campaign under Mauricio Pochettino.
The England international found himself out in the cold and was not called up by Gareth Southgate while his colleague went to the Euros for Ukraine but failed to propel them through the group stages. With links to Nico Williams not going away, it could be now or never for one of these two to lock down a spot in the squad.
Robert Sanchez
After starting out life under Pochettino as the number-one goalkeeper, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man found himself watching from the sidelines for much of the season. A combination of injuries and some mistakes saw him lose his place to Djordje Petrovic who was generally impressive all term.
With Maresca set to focus on passing and positioning from his goalkeeper, the door has opened for the Englishman to reclaim his status as first-choice goalkeeper. He will have to iron out the mistakes that cost him last season to do so.
Ben Chilwell
More than anyone, Ben Chilwell may be hurt by the managerial change. He has excelled throughout his career at bombing up and down the flanks as a wing-back but that role is unlikely to exist under the new management. The Italian coach uses his full-backs to pull inside and help keep possession, one moving into midfield while one moves into a back-three.
After injuries cut short his playing time in recent seasons, questions will be asked of the vice-captain about both his fitness and the ability to fit into this new-look squad. On top of that, Marc Cucurella’s Euro 2024 performances have put him firmly in second place for the left-back spot.
