Chelsea reveal 28-man Club World Cup squad with one new signing ready to shine | OneFootball

Chelsea announced their 28-man squad for the FIFA World Cup yesterday, confirming all four summer signings will be part of the travelling party.

It’s been a busy start to the summer for the Blues as they finally locked down a Champions League spot under the ownership of Todd Boehly after two upsetting years.

Enzo Maresca’s side backed up their fourth-place finish in the Premier League with a maiden Europa Conference League triumph, perhaps setting the tone for a brighter future.

Maintaining a feel-good factor will likely be Maresca’s primary goal in the upcoming tournament, with Chelsea jetting off to the United States on Friday.

In addition to Mamadou Sarr, Dario Essugo and Mike Penders, marquee summer signing Liam Delap will board the plane, meaning his non-competitive debut will be on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Seen as an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson, who, despite his well-documented wastefulness in front of goal, had a decent season, Delap may not have to wait long for his first title in the blue shirt.

Although they are pre-tournament dark horses, Chelsea are among a handful of clubs in this summer’s competition familiar with the taste of victory at the Club World Cup.

The newcomers may help Maresca recreate Thomas Tuchel’s success in 2022 and take the Blues to the top of the world.

Diligent approach

Chelsea have become synonymous with mindless spending sprees since Boehly took the club from Roman Abramovich three years ago, with most signings failing to live up to expectations.

However, the owners may finally have identified flaws in their rackless transfer policy, leading to a more conservative approach this summer.

Unlike Manchester City, the only other Premier League representative at the Club World Cup, Chelsea’s recruitment campaign has been noticeably restrained, focusing on acquiring young talent.

While the Cityzens embarked on an aggressive recruitment drive worth almost €140 million to reinforce their squad, Chelsea have been more cautious.

Delap’s arrival from Ipswich Town remains the Blues’ most significant investment, although it’s hard to rule out further additions, especially if things don’t go their way in the US.

It’s also worth noting that Maresca’s future had been in doubt before Chelsea rescued their season down the final stretch, with several underperforming stars also on the chopping block.

Per BBC Sport, the Italian boss plans a ‘mass clear-out’ this summer, and the tournament may serve as a filter to assess who deserves to stay.

How will Chelsea line up at the Club World Cup?

A 4-2-3-1 set-up worked well for Chelsea in the Europa Conference League final, and it stands to reason Maresca will field the same formation in Monday’s opening game against Los Angeles FC.

Despite Mike Penders’ arrival from Genk, Robert Sanchez should retain his place between the sticks, although it’s hard to rule out changes further down the line.

With Reece James fully fit at long last, there should be no doubt at right-back, while Marc Cucurella remains an uncontested starter on the opposite flank.

Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah may be the starting centre-back pairing, yet watch out for Sarr, who had an eye-catching Ligue 1 season at Strasbourg in 2024/25.

Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez have nailed down starting berths in the double pivot as their own, meaning Essugo will likely have to stay patient.

Cole Palmer should be Chelsea’s beating heart at number ten, regardless of an unfathomable dip in form last term, with Noni Madueke and Pedro Neto favourites to start on the wings.

Jackson had his moments last term, but Delap will likely lead the line as Maresca’s new frontman.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Neto; Delap.