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Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has left five players out of his pre-season plans.
The new boss at Stamford Bridge has plenty of big decisions to make this summer, primarily which players he wants at the club next season and which players he doesn’t.
There has already been a lot of movement at the West London club in recent times, with attacking duo Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson arriving for huge fees, with the former having been agreed upon prior to Pochettino being appointed.
Senior Chelsea trio omitted
But it is the outgoings at Stamford Bridge that have dominated the Chelsea transfer headlines this summer, with a long list of players being moved on as the club look to balance the books in terms of squad space and wages.
First-team training last season regularly involved between 33 and 40 players, while three of the club’s January signings could not be added to Chelsea’s Champions League squad.
Moreover, star defender Thiago Silva revealed at one point that the club’s dressing room had to be extended to accommodate all the players.
Fortunately, those issues have been eased in recent times thanks to a massive clear-out at Stamford Bridge, with Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, N’Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic and Cesar Azpilicueta all leaving the club this summer.
But that definitely won’t be the end of the outgoings following the latest decision from manager Pochettino, who has omitted senior trio Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech from his pre-season plans, according to the Daily Mail.
Aubameyang was due back at Cobham on Monday, a revised date that Chelsea had handed to some of their out-of-favour players to allow them more time to resolve their immediate futures.
The Gabon international was informed that a Tuesday return was possible, with that decision from the club coming amid Aubameyang’s strong links with a move to Ligue 1 outfit Marseille.
Fellow forward Romelu Lukaku was also expected back on Tuesday, having also had his planned return to Cobham delayed after a temporary spell at Inter Milan.
The Belgian has been linked with a move to Juventus, Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal and former club Inter Milan, although it seems the latter is unwilling to take him on a permanent basis following his loan at San Siro last season.
Winger Ziyech meanwhile had a move to Al Nassr fall through earlier this summer, but it looks certain that he will still be moved on from Stamford Bridge in the coming weeks.
Chelsea youngsters left out
Pochettino had been working with his players at Chelsea’s training ground, but the club are now on their way to America, where they will play League Two newcomers Wrexham in North Carolina on Thursday.
Senior trio Lukaku, Aubameyang and Ziyech are, however, not with the travelling party, with the three players joined by youngsters Omari Hutchinson and Harvey Vale in staying at Cobham.
Chelsea will also take on Brighton, Newcastle and Fulham in pre-season in the inaugural Premier League Summer Series, finishing off their fixtures with a clash against German outfit Borussia Dortmund before their league opener against Liverpool in mid-August.
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