The Chelsea squad members not participating in international duty have returned to Cobham after a well-deserved break. As the final domestic football hiatus of the year concludes, the team prepares for a busy schedule, featuring nine games in just over a month.
Encouragingly, Malo Gusto and Levi Colwill, who withdrew from the France Under-21 and England squads due to minor injuries, were actively involved in Monday afternoon’s training session. Meanwhile, Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku continued their rehabilitation work, with hopes of their imminent availability for team selection.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Manchester City, manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed optimism, stating, “We hope that next week they will be involved with the team, and we will assess day by day to see when they can start to play and help the team.”
Reece James, who has been gradually reintegrated into play since the October international break, shared positive insights into his progress. The team captain has started in the past three games and expressed his satisfaction with the improvement in strength and fitness. Although he hasn’t played a full 90 minutes yet, he is committed to training hard daily to return to his peak performance.
Marc Cucurella, showcasing excellent form in recent weeks, shared his perspective on Chelsea’s positive trajectory. Despite not earning a recall to the Spanish national team, Cucurella believes the team is establishing good habits, forming a strong young squad, and building something significant. While acknowledging the desire to win every game, he expressed contentment with the team’s current style of play.
Looking forward, Chelsea’s next challenge in a series of matches against top teams is at St James’ Park against Newcastle. Despite being three places and four points below Chelsea, Newcastle faces its own injury concerns. Pochettino and his team aim for a victory in the North-East.
The upcoming match also holds the potential for a historic moment at Chelsea. If Thiago Silva features, he will become the club’s oldest-ever outfield player.
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By- Sahiba Suri