Pochettino trims down Chelsea Pre-season Squad

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has made the decision to omit five players from his pre-season plans as part of his efforts to streamline the squad.

Last season, the Blues had an excessive number of players on their books, resulting in an overcrowded first-team training environment.

This situation led to the club’s inability to add three January signings to their Champions League squad, and Thiago Silva revealed that the dressing room had to be expanded to accommodate all the players.

Chelsea has already undergone a significant clear-out this summer, with several departures. However, Pochettino is determined to further trim down the squad and has identified five players as surplus to requirements.

According to reports from the Daily Mail, Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Romelu Lukaku are among those who have been left out of the travelling party for the pre-season fixtures.

Ziyech, Aubameyang, and Lukaku have not found favor with Pochettino, who has instructed them to report for training at the Cobham training base a day after the team flies out to the United States.

Marseille has expressed interest in acquiring Aubameyang, who joined Chelsea just last summer but struggled to make an impact, 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 discovered during a medical examination.

Meanwhile, Lukaku has attracted interest from Al Hilal and Juventus, with the Italian club keen to keep him in Serie A.

Lukaku spent the previous season on loan at Inter Milan, contributing significantly to their journey to the UEFA Champions League final. However, Inter Milan has decided against permanently signing him for a second time.

The remaining two players left at Cobham for training are young prospects Omari Hutchinson and Harvey Vale.

Chelsea’s pre-season preparations include a friendly against League Two newcomers Wrexham at the Kenan Memorial Stadium in North Carolina on Thursday. The team will also face Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham, and Borussia Dortmund in further warm-up matches.

Pochettino’s exclusion of the five players signals his intent to shape a more streamlined and focused squad as Chelsea prepares for the upcoming season’s challenges.