How the World Cup has affected Chelsea
- Published
Chelsea had 11 players involved at the World Cup, but only seven played in the tournament.
Key players Cole Palmer, Levi Colwill and Joao Pedro were left out of their respective squads and have already returned for pre-season training.
The greatest concern has been the fitness of captain Reece James, who played into the latter stages of the tournament after helping England reach the third-place play-off, but suffered hamstring issues.
Enzo Fernandez, who was sent off in the final against Spain, and Malo Gusto are set to return late for pre-season, along with expected new signing Valentin Barco.
England midfielder Morgan Rogers is set to arrive at Chelsea from Aston Villa for that club record £117m deal, though international team-mate Trevoh Chalobah is expected to leave this summer.
Much like Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal knocked England out of the European Championship in 2006, Fernandez may find his antics in and around Argentina's victory over England will make him a target for opposition fans next season should he stay with Chelsea.
