Gary Cahill believes that Chelsea lack leaders in their squad. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Speaking to the Official Chelsea Website (h/t The Athletic, Subscription required), Chelsea boss Graham Potter has revealed that the eliminated players from the World Cup will join the squad when they return to England next week.
Six Blues players – Kai Havertz (Germany), Denis Zakaria (Switzerland), Edouard Mendy (Senegal), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Cesar Azpilicueta (Spain) and Christian Pulisic (USA) got eliminated from the tournament in either the group or the last-16 stage.
The non-World Cup-bound players are currently undergoing a mid-season training camp in Abu Dhabi that will last for a week. Potter revealed that those who have had an early elimination from the World Cup will only join the squad for training when everyone returns to England next week.
Here’s what the boss exactly said (The Athletic):
“They’ll report back when we return. It’s important after the disappointment of being knocked out of the World Cup that there’s time to psychologically get their heads straight and have a bit of time with their family and friends.
“Then they can come back refreshed, we’ve given the players some time to have a break and to be ready for a tough long second part of the season. They’ll be returning next week and we’re looking forward to seeing everybody.”
Giving those players extended time off is probably the right decision. Although, they have at the most played four games in almost three weeks, which, on the face of it is not a lot, the pressure of representing your country in a World Cup and the burden of elimination does take its toll.
As Potter mentioned, there is a long second half of the season coming up, with games coming thick and fast to accommodate the time lost in the season to conduct this winter World Cup.
So, these players may not have any other opportunity from now till the end of this season to have an extended and relaxed time with their friends and family.
Once they are refreshed, it would help them in concentrating on the game better and do well for the club. We resume our season with a home game against Bournemouth in the league on December 27. Knowing our wobbly position in the table (eighth), a winning start would be a welcome return.
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