Thomas Tuchel, already working with a depleted Chelsea squad due to departures of senior players this summer, has been dealt another blow for the club's preseason tour of America.
The Blues released their 29-man touring party, including returning loan stars Conor Gallagher, Levi Colwill and Billy Gilmour return this summer, while Harvey Vale, Charlie Webster and Lewis Hall have been involved in the opening week of first-team training.
With less than one month until Chelsea's first match of the league season, away at Goodison Park, Tuchel will have to do the first competitive stint of preseason without two of his key midfield players. N'Golo Kante and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have both been left behind at Cobham due to their vaccination status.
READ MORE: Confirmed Chelsea squad for USA pre-season tour as Loftus-Cheek and Kante absence explained
This means that Tuchel is without a duo that made 50 Premier League appearances between them last season. It is unideal preparation for a squad that has already fallen behind Premier League rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
The announcement, written on the club website, included a caveat for the absence of Kante and Loftus-Cheek. This has sparked debate surrounding the public knowledge of players' vaccination status after it previously kept out of the public domain.
Earlier this season, whilst Covid-19 continued to cause problems for clubs over winter, Tuchel said, "I can have an opinion but a player can also have an opinion. Then there can be regulations around this, like when you arrive to work, your employer can create an environment where you are not allowed to be in the building if you are not vaccinated.
"This can happen so you have to adapt to it and you have to live with the consequences. But we cannot force people to get vaccinated. I will not change my opinion on that."
Tuchel himself is vaccinated, but the rules to get into America remain strict, reading:
"If you are a non-U.S. citizen who is a non-immigrant (not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, or travelling to the United States on an immigrant visa), you will need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before you travel by air to the United States from a foreign country."
Although Chelsea are expected to have Raheem Sterling join the group in the coming week, once he completes a transfer from Manchester City, and could also add Nathan Ake as well, later in the window. This leaves Tuchel with only Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho as first-team midfielders from last season in the squad, but does open up the chances for Gilmour and Gallagher to impress.
Kante and Loftus-Cheek also have uncertain futures at the club, with the Frenchman a known target for Paris St Germain, whilst there have been Italian suitors for Loftus-Cheek. Both players occupy a large portion of Chelsea's wage budget, whilst Kante's contract expires at the end of next season, increasing the chances that the Blues try to recoup some money for him this summer.
Not only does their omission leave Tuchel short-changed for senior bodies in the middle of the pitch, it also makes a possible system shift to four at the back trickier to impose.
Chelsea will also be without Armando Broja, who won't join the squad until next week, amid his own personal transfer speculation.
The group will first fly to Los Angeles for a week-long training camp before travelling to Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Florida, where the club have friendlies scheduled with Club America, Charlotte and Arsenal, respectively.
The full 29-man squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers
Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marcus Bettinelli, Teddy Sharman-Lowe
Defenders
Marcos Alonso, Ethan Ampadu, Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Ben Chilwell, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Kenedy, Emerson Palmieri, Malang Sarr, Thiago Silva
Midfielders
Ross Barkley, Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount. Harvey Vale
Forwards
Tino Anjorin, Michy Batshuayi, Kai Havertz, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Christian Pulisic, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech
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