Chelsea supporters in the Football Transfer Tavern are looking ahead to their pre-season tour of Asia as the squad returns to training on Monday.
It is that time of year again, clubs’ preparations for the new season is about to begin, as Premier League teams travel the globe to improve squad fitness, team unity and perhaps most importantly their global shirt sales.
Once more, Chelsea will be competing in the International Champions Cup and are preparing for three fixtures in Asia, the first of which will be against Arsenal in Beijing on the 22nd of July.
In fact, the Blues will face Arsenal twice in the pre-season period. They play for the second time on the 6th of August in the Community Shield at Wembley, where the Blues will be hoping to improve on their 2-1 defeat in the FA Cup final to the same opponents.
The weeks ahead of the new season give the entire squad a fresh chance to firmly work their way into the manger’s thoughts and, with that in mind, our landlord has illustrated two players that need to impress Conte on their pre-season tour…
Kurt Zouma
Since recovering from a horrific knee injury that he sustained in the Champions League against PSG, Kurt Zouma has lost his status as a mainstay in Chelsea’s defence. Before his injury, Zouma had established himself as Chelsea’s leading centre-back, with his astonishing speed and remarkable ability to complete last-gasp challenges, highlighting themselves as key components of his game. However, the arrival of Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation and Azpilicueta’s transformation into a CB has isolated the Frenchman somewhat.
Doubts have been raised regarding his suitability to operate in a back three, with many questioning if he has the required ball-playing traits to function in Conte’s system. This tour is the perfect example for Zouma to answer his critics and silence those who are linking him with a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Michy Batshuayi
Antonio Conte seemed reluctant to use Batshuayi last season, often implying that the Belgian had yet to familiarise himself with the tempo and gruelling physicality of the Premier League.
Despite this, the 23-year-old managed to finish his first season in London with nine goals – mightily impressive when considering that the striker only made one league start throughout the entirety of the season.
With Diego Costa set to leave Chelsea and as the Blues have reportedly lost the race to sign Romelu Lukaku, they may be dependent on Batshuayi to lead their attacking line. This tour provides the 23—year-old with the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his adequacy to be Chelsea’s main striker this forthcoming season.
Do you agree with our choices? Let us know your thoughts!
