news-engine

A pre-season outing against Real Sociedad offered Xabi Alonso a last chance to prep his squad and test things out ahead of the Premier League kickoff against Fulham. Based on who was featured in the starting lineup and bench, it is easy to come to a concluded Chelsea unwanted list as they look to trim the squad a lot ahead of the season’s start. At the moment, the Blues have far too much depth for a team not in European competitions, and will likely see a number of departures before the September 3 deadline day. Read More: Chelsea Confirmed Lineup vs Real Sociedad for August 15 Chelsea Unwanted List Revealed by Real Sociedad Snubs Who Is Safe Robert Sanchez, Mike Penders, and Gaga Slonina were the three goalkeepers in the matchday squad. This comes despite Penders and Slonina having a lack of pre-season minutes. There is no room for Teddy Sharman-Lowe despite his appearances in the Asia/Australia tour. Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill, and Maxence Lacroix were the starting centre-backs on the day in a back five. Josh Acheampong and Jorrel Hato were the two on the bench and are likely two to stay. At wing-back Marco Palestra was joined by Pepe Chavarria, Malo Gusto, and Pedro Neto as options. Geovany Quenda was named to the bench and can play in that spot or on the wing. Read More: Projected Chelsea Squad for 26/27 as of August 12 Moises Caicedo and Reece James started as the pivot with Enzo Fernandez being introduced for a cameo with Romeo Lavia. Dario Essugo and Valentin Barco were brought on to the bench indicating they will be staying as midfield options. Read More: Jordan Henderson Sends Message to Chelsea Fans After Signing Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and Estevao were the attacking options in the matchday squad against Real Sociedad. Danny Welbeck was brought in from Brighton & Hove Albion as a veteran option and knows he won’t feature every week, he wasn’t involved in the match but that was likely to let him rest. Who Is on the Chelsea Unwanted List? Some of the bigger names missing out were Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap. Delap was given chances throughout pre-season against lesser opposition and failed to impress, he is reportedly garnering interest for a move away so his time in blue could be close to an end. The more shocking absence was Jackson, the Senegal attacker was impressive in his brief pre-season appearances and showed some versatility to play in the number ten role. He could be a casualty of the inflated options up front however, with minutes likely hard to come by. Read More: Chelsea EA FC 27 Player Ratings Tosin Adarabioyo was a similarly unimpressive part of the tour in Asia/Australia, looking out of his depth even when alongside academy defenders. Being left out indicates he is behind Acheampong and Hato in the pecking order, making him the sixth choice for the spot, maybe seventh. The last one to note is Mykhailo Mudryk. After his ban was lifted, the Ukrainian international made some cameo returns but was never likely to remain in the squad. He could be sent on loan to get some minutes back in his legs after over a year without playing any professional football. Featured Image Credit IMAGO / Belga