Hakim Ziyech could leave Chelsea. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
As reported by the club’s official website, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Edouard Mendy are back training with the Chelsea squad for the pre-season ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
The pre-season training officially started on Friday itself as Thomas Tuchel and his staff returned to the Cobham base, with just four players – Callum Hudson-Odoi, Tammy Abraham, Tino Anjorin and Marcos Alonso – back at the time.
On Monday, though, as many as 28 players had made their presence felt at the Cobham training centre, including Edouard Mendy, Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. The trio was also joined by Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga while the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, back after their loan spells last season, were seen in action too.
Also involved was forgotten midfielder Danny Drinkwater while youngsters like Marc Guehi, Trevoh Chalobah, Armando Broja and Malang Sarr were also back at the club, getting ready for the upcoming campaign. Although, it is doubtful whether any of them will be a part of the plans under Tuchel for the next season.
The pre-season will be particularly important for players like Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi, who often found themselves on the fringes under Tuchel in the second half of the 2020/21 season. With Mason Mount set for an extended break after his involvement in the UEFA Euro 2020, the duo of Ziyech and Hudson-Odoi have a chance to push for a starting berth if they impress Tuchel.
Ziyech had a difficult debut season in England, having had some injury issues while spending a lot of time on the fringes of the first-team. However, his quality is undeniable and a strong pre-season could set the tone for him to kickstart his Chelsea career.
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