Thomas Tuchel and his Chelsea squad have landed in Los Angeles, and the pre-season tour of the USA is now underway. The Blues name their 29-man group for the trip on Saturday afternoon as the contingent of the group who had participated in international matches during the summer finally joined up to truly get preparations underway.
Three names conspicuous by their absence on that list were Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N'Golo Kante. The duo were unable to head across the Atlantic due to their vaccination status, meaning they are removed from the first team group at a crucial stage of preparation and will miss friendlies against Club America, Charlotte and Arsenal.
There are less than four weeks until the Premier League season kicks off, and the next 14 days will be spent in the USA. The Blues do have a fixture against Udinese following the club's return from the USA, but it's undeniable that the time across the pond will be crucial ahead of the new season.
READ MORE: Confirmed Chelsea squad for USA pre-season tour as Loftus-Cheek and Kante absence explained
Tuchel will be two central midfielders down, and that will leave an opportunity for a number of returning stars who were out on loan last season. Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic will stand out as an experienced duo the German coach has previously relied upon, with the former's future still uncertain, though his agent expects contract renewal talks to get underway in September.
The midfield pair will not play every minute of every friendly, however, and each will only have one week of training before Chelsea's match in Las Vegas. From the players the Blues identify as midfielders in their squad list, Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher are set to be the prime benefactors.
Gilmour saw his contract extended when Chelsea activated a clause in his contract, while Gallagher met with Tuchel at the end of the season to discuss his role in the team moving forward. The former Crystal Palace loanee is said to be intent on laying down a marker during the tour, and the absence of Loftus-Cheek and Kante would appear to provide the opportunity.
They are not the only players who could be rotated through the positions, however, with Ethan Ampadu perhaps also in contention. He is listed as a defender but is more than competent as a defensive midfielder, and the Wales star consistently proved his versatility while on loan at Venezia last season.
The 21-year-old has no plans to leave the Blues at present and is firmly focused on pre-season at Chelsea, and given the lack of recruitment across the backline could see chances arise across a number of positions. His ability to play a variety of roles could make Ampadu a useful player in a season where Tuchel will be able to call upon five substitutes in the Premier League.
One player could find themselves driving forward from the centre of the pitch, having already had a week of pre-season training, perhaps providing an advantage ahead of Chelsea's opening friendly against Club America. Tino Anjorin endured a tough year on loan at Lokomotiv Moscow and Huddersfield but has been working his way back to full fitness and has previously impressed Tuchel with his abilities.
The 20-year-old is used in a more attacking role than the likes of Kante and can also play on the flanks, but with talk of Tuchel being open to a change of formation, Anjorin could find himself among the favourites to play a decent number of minutes in the opening week.
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