Seven members of the 25-man Chelsea squad that travelled out to Abu Dhabi have not been selected for this evening's friendly against Premier League rivals Aston Villa at the Al Nahyan Stadium.
Graham Potter and his players arrived in the Middle East on Monday morning for a week-long warm-weather training camp designed to help a number of senior stars build fitness ahead of the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. The trip is rounded off with today's friendly, which is being played for the CBF | Al Wahda Challenge Cup.
With a number of senior Chelsea players yet to return from the World Cup, Potter has named a makeshift squad to take on a far stronger Villa side. There are several notable absentees from the matchday group, although the majority were expected.