Chelsea are embarking on an extended period of rest and recuperation after being held to a frustrating draw by Everton on the weekend.
Like all other Premier League clubs, the Blues have begun the international break. While many players will be jetting off to join their compatriots for Euro 2024 qualifiers or fixtures further afield, many will remain at home to train at Cobham.
Graham Potter will be using the time to rest before getting back to work. "I think that’s sensible because there is an intense period coming up. April and May will be heavy for us,” he said. “So, it’s important for me as the leader to gain some freshness and recharge, and to use the time well."
With that in mind, here is the latest news from Chelsea.
Kante plan
N’Golo Kante will work tirelessly throughout the international break in an effort to return to the Chelsea team.
The French midfielder was in a matchday squad for the first time since August on Saturday. He has missed almost the entire season through injury, but Graham Potter is confident that he is nearing a return to action.
Kante will train at Cobham throughout the international break and might play in an internal friendly to increase his match fitness. "We're still planning it (the friendly) but I think it will probably be internal. That will be good,” Potter said after the Everton game.
"We need to control it as much as we can and then I think we've got about four players (not on international duty), so it is what it is. We have to hope players come back injury free and that we use the break to refresh and prepare for a really hectic April."
Aubameyang turns heads at Barca
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was pictured celebrating with his former Barcelona team-mates after they beat Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday night.
Aubameyang has barely featured for Chelsea of late and decided to fly out to Spain to watch Barcelona beat Real 2-1 in La Liga. He was welcomed into the dressing room to join the celebrations after Franck Kessie’s late winner increased Barca’s lead at the top of the division.
The 33-year-old signed a two-year contract when he arrived at Chelsea in September but he looks set to leave in the summer, with Potter needing to trim his bloated squad. It seems Aubameyang would be keen to return to Barcelona, where he scored 13 goals in 24 games last season.
Stadium timeline outlined
Chelsea would have to spend a minimum of four years away from Stamford Bridge if they built a new stadium on the site.
The Blues have held talks over playing at Craven Cottage, Twickenham and Wembley as Todd Boehly’s consortium plots a redevelopment of the stadium. The club want to build a new 60,000-seat stadium on the same site which has been their home since 1905. But that is easier said than done, with a huge number of problems needing to be overcome.
The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea hope to have built a new stadium at Stamford Bridge by 2030 at a projected cost of around £2billion. That will mean an extended period playing ‘home’ games at a different stadium.
