We’ve all read, watched and listened to more than enough debate about the merits of and controversies surrounding the World Cup being hosted in Qatar.
Regardless of your views on it, it’s pretty clear that squeezing the tournament in around the already-hectic European domestic football schedule is going to put a lot of pressure on players whose nations go deep.
Chelsea, who have several first-teamers who won’t be on the plane, could benefit from this in the second half of the season.
Let’s start with the Blues that are nailed on to be in Qatar, though. Barring any injuries picked up between now and mid-November, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling can be fairly certain of their spots on England’s plane while Ben Chilwell is also likely to be picked.
The top bookies for World Cup betting offers all rate England as fourth-favourites to win the title behind Brazil, France and Argentina and any less than equalling their 2018 performance by reaching the semi-final will be seen as disappointing.
If England do reach the final, Messrs Mount, Sterling and Chilwell could be playing up to 7 matches in just 28 days.
Other Chelsea first team regulars who have a good chance of going the full distance include Brazil talisman Thiago Silva, Spain stalwart César Azpilicueta, plus Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz of Italy, Croatia and Germany respectively.
That’s a big chunk of Graham Potter’s best players who could end up with intense winter workloads. But Chelsea also have a decent core of players who are unlikely to feature in Qatar (or definitely won’t in the case of Armando Broja and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).
While missing the World Cup cut will be gutting for those who aren’t picked, it will be a boon for Potter and may also be beneficial for the long-term prospects of the players.
For example, there will be few surprises if Marc Cucurella is not in Luis Enrique’s final squad. The 24-year-old defender has yet to build upon his solitary senior international cap (a friendly against Lithuania which several of the regular squad were forced to miss due to COVID isolation)
Cucurella has yet to truly nail down the left-back position since his big-money summer switch from Brighton & Hove Albion, so a six-week break to work with Potter (his gaffer at Brighton, let’s not forget) may be just the tonic.
Kepa has dropped out of contention for even Spain’s third goalkeeper spot lately, but his recent resurgence has arguably been the success story of the new Chelsea manager’s reign so far. He may yet make the Spain squad but, if not, a fresh Kepa for the new year would be far from the worst outcome for the Blues.
The biggest group of World Cup nearly men at Chelsea, though, comprises the English players who will likely not be selected. Trevor Chalobah, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all been utilised extensively by Graham Potter since his arrival. Still, the odds of any of them joining Southgate and co. in the Middle East is fairly low.
This group of players likely to miss out on the World Cup are all genuine starters for Chelsea when fit and in form. Playing at a World Cup is the pinnacle for most professional footballers, but missing the tournament gives these players time to recharge and attack the back half of the season.
If not going to Qatar helps them deliver Chelsea a strong league finish and even a trophy or two, I’m sure they’d take it.
