Chelsea is confronted with a planning nightmare with personnel looking internally to how the best can be to ensure that reaching the World Cup finale on Sunday, although lucrative, does not derail their next domestic campaign.
The blues will be guaranteed to take at least £ 80 million from this tournament, although there is some concern about the consequences of their long part in the United States. The final will be their 64th game of the 2024-25 season, where the team is held at 100 hours of football in general.
When landing in London, the stars of Chelsea will rest a mandatory minimum of three weeks. That would mean that they are coming back to Cobham for training for the season from Tuesday 5 August.
They have already planned two Stamford Bridge – Friendly competitions with Bayer Leverkusen on Friday 8 August and AC Milan on Sunday 10 August – More about this in the next columnitem, because it is assumed that the 'Bomb Squad' should be called into action.
Chelsea's first Premier League-Fast value of 2025-26 is a home game with Crystal Palace on Sunday 17 August, by that time they had less than two weeks to prepare.
History suggests that the Premier League will probably not grant a delayed start of the season for Chelsea. Before this competition started, Manchester City has the opportunity that they would start their season later than their counterparts. A formal request has never been submitted if Pep Guardiola and Co were left behind with the impression that it would be rejected.
The early exit of the city may have been a disguised blessing in that case, because it has given them more time to have a break and then return for the preseason.
Confidentally, the Premier League asked if they would be willing to reconsider their position now that Chelsea has reached the final, although the blues will have difficulty receiving sympathy from their rivals, seen how much money they have earned from this club world cup.
Palace, whom we also approached, is also expected to take back against any delay that their opponents would give them time to take them in a stronger position.
Two friendly matches in August to place 'Bomb Squad' players in the retail window
Those who have been omitted from Chelsea's Club World Cup team – usually the 'bomb squad', rightly or wrongly – are currently on their vacation.
This includes Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, Joao Felix, Djordje Petrovic, Armando Broja and Renato Veiga. Confidential has learned that some of them are still waiting for a message about when they should report to Cobham to start training again, because they have not yet received a return date.
With Chelsea who reaches the Club World Cup final, and those who did travel to the United States, they are entitled to three weeks of vacation as soon as they leave, the blues may have to rely on their fringe stars for the two friendly competitions that come up at the beginning of August.
If it is not sold or borrowed by that time, Chilwell, Sterling and Co could appear versus Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan on Stamford Bridge. With tongue in the cheek, one source said that it could be 'a showcase event for the bomb team'.
Arsenal encloses Madueke
Chelsea is contractually obliged by FIFA to set up three players before every club World Cup competition. We have spoken with many of them – so much that they are now being recycled, where we have spoken with Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos and Dario Essugo twice – but not Noni Madueke.
You can imagine why. It is because we would question him about his future in the midst of Arsenal's interest in him.
The Gunners are now in direct conversations with Chelsea about Madueke, who is available for around £ 50 million with the 18-year-old Wonderkid Estevao Willian who arrives this summer. The Brazilian teenager scored last week against his future employers for Palmeiras.
Madueke is also open to moving to the Emirates Stadium after agreeing personal conditions. He has had discipline problems in the past, also under Enzo Maresca last season, and did not start with the last three games of Chelsea as usual in the midst of the sound around him and Arsenal. Maresca seems worried that he has lost his focus.
Nicolas Jackson is another with whom we have not spoken for a competition. Although Chelsea does not actively push him as a potential sale in the market, Jackson is not considered inviolable when another club shows interest, with two other strikers in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap who arrived this summer. Both have shown their potential at this World Cup from Club.
Influencers who offer cash to get a list of Premier League luminaires
Last month, when the Premier League matches were announced for 2025-26, there were football beginers invalid money for journalists on social media in exchange for leaking the list so that they could prove that they are indeed aware of their followers.
We receive it early under strict embargo, but you will have trouble finding a journalist who would endanger their work for a quick money. The offers arrived at less than £ 100 in the messages I have seen and that were not included.
Cherries are offering Petrovic
Bournemouth has submitted an offer for Djordje Petrovic.
Although the number of their bid is not yet known, Chelsea is determined to receive at least £ 25 million for their goalkeeper who spent the last season on loan in Strasbourg. Petrovic did not travel to the United States with his blues teammates.
Other clubs remain interested – including the Chelsea sister club in France – but Bournemouth is looking for the management. They also had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan last season.
How the stars of Chelsea would spend their three weeks downtime
Although the Chelsea players have downtime as soon as they are out of this club world, these are usually athletes who are addicted to stay as fit as possible.
Freed with Levi Colwill in the United States fourteen days ago and asked him how he would spend it.
Colwill said that he would personally have a week of chilling with friends and family, but then would start training individually while he is on vacation, partly for fear that he would get into trouble with Maresca if he returned for the preseason in Cobham in less than tip-top condition.
No bonus for Enzo
I told Maresca after the semi -final of Chelsea on Fluminense that they had now protected more than £ 80 million in prize money from FIFA.
“Not me,” said Maresca. Indeed, the 45-year-old Italian was understood as no bonus for winning Chelsea de Conference League, nor is it of the opinion that he has built one into his contract if they triumph in the club World Cup.
Maresca, however, will hope that part of the money he has earned will come back to him in signing sessions. He told those above him the areas that he believes they should be improved.
Will Caicedo be fit for the final?
Chelsea crosses everything in the hope that Moises Caicedo, who will undergo tests on his ankle after a rest day was planned for the entire team today, will be fit for Sunday's confrontation.
Dario Essugo was signed as his backup, but in terrible timing the 20-year-old defending midfielder picked up a muscular problem that will also come out of the final.
Caicedo has logic so often by making itself indestructible, so there remains hope that he can return to try to help the club become world champions.
Metlife not the wisest choice …
Metlife Stadium in New Jersey – In essence, a monstrous £ 1 billion arena placed in the middle of a gigantic parking space – seems a terrible choice for the 2026 World Cup final of next year in its current state.
Fans who fly to the United States would discover that it is a complete farce to try to reach by public transport, unless you feel like paying more than $ 100 for a Uber from Manhattan and that is just one way.
Without shady areas around the stadium – as I said, it is a parking lot – supporters have melted in the heat wave that hits here.
We can only accept the bright lights of New York Blinded Fifa when choosing this stadium.
In the meantime, FIFA president Gianni Infantino passed confidentially when he recently left the Metlife after the 3-2 victory of Real Madrid over Borussia Dortmund. He stopped to take selfies with supporters before he stepped into his driver-driven car.