Chelsea has a new coach, operating under a new strategy after two coaching staff changes last season, and welcoming a series of new players.
Coach Xabi Alonso will take advantage of the pre-season period to assess the force and identify players worthy of being kept after the summer transfer window. However, Chelsea still needs to streamline the squad because they do not have a European cup spot, while the club continues to look for new contracts.
For players who are no longer valued, an unsuccessful pre-season period may mean having to leave Stamford Bridge.
Below are the names that need to prove themselves in the tour in Australia and Asia.
Nicolas Jackson
The Senegalese striker returned to Chelsea after a period of unsuccessful loan at Bayern Munich. This deal was once tense when Jackson almost cut off all contact to promote a move to Germany.
The relationship between Jackson and former coach Enzo Maresca has cracked. He even refused to return to London on the last day of last summer's transfer window, when Liam Delap was injured and Chelsea wanted to call him back from Bayern Munich.
Despite scoring 11 goals, Jackson still could not convince the Bundesliga champion to activate the buyout clause. Returning to Chelsea, the 25-year-old striker is facing a turning point in his career.
Alonso affirmed that he wants to directly assess Jackson during the tour, but the possibility of this player being sold has not been ruled out. Chelsea are said to value him at around 65 million pounds.
Liam Delap
Another striker also facing an uncertain future is Liam Delap. The former Ipswich Town player is considered a bargain with a fee of 30 million pounds after scoring 12 goals in the Premier League. However, injuries, disciplinary issues and a record of only 2 goals in all competitions have made his first season at Chelsea a disappointment.
However, Delap still showed potential at times, including a goal in the 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.
However, he could not gain the trust of both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior. After that, Rosenior also failed to test Delap in the right winger position, a role he used to use this player when they both worked at Hull City.
Previously, many opinions worried that Delap had moved too quickly when moving from Portman Road to Stamford Bridge. To date, that opinion has been partly proven.
Wesley Fofana
The Blues are owning too many center-backs and Alonso still wants to add more personnel to this position. Besides Levi Colwill, no defender can be certain of his position. Wesley Fofana is no exception.
The French center-back has not been able to guarantee a starting spot. Although his physical condition improved last season, Fofana has not yet met expectations since joining Chelsea for £70 million from Leicester City in 2022.
To prove his value, he needs to maintain stable form as well as play regularly.
Jamie Gittens
Jamie Gittens was one of the forgotten players last season. The English winger joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for £48.5 million but only started five times in the Premier League before suffering a hamstring injury in February and having to rest for the rest of the season.
Gittens has now recovered and scored in a closed-door friendly match with Crawley before Chelsea set off for the tour.
However, the appearance of Morgan Rogers makes the competition on both wings fiercer. Besides, Estevao Willian is also in the process of recovering from a hamstring injury to return soon.
